DISCOVER FUKUI

“Happy Bus” is a convenient bus tour that lets you hop around Fukui Prefecture’s major attractions with ease. A professional bus guide accompanies the tour, introducing Fukui’s charms and the features of …

• Awara,Sakai,Fukui
• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

The temple of Eiheiji was established in 1244 as a temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, by Zen Master Dogen (1200–1253). The temple is located in a deep mountain valley with more than 70 halls and towers. Today, Eiheiji is one of the he…

• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

Seidaiji Temple is home to the Echizen Great Buddha, one of the largest seated Buddha statues in Japan. This 17-meter-tall statue was based on the seated Buddha statue in the Longmen Grottoes of Luoyang, China, where Buddhism was first introduced. …

• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

Images courtesy of <Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum>.This museum specializes in geology and paleontology with a focus on dinosaurs. It is known as one of the three leading dinosaur museums in the world because of its scale and contents.The …

• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

Maruoka Castle dates back to 1576, and is one of only twelve original castle towers remaining in Japan today. In early and mid April, the castle celebrates its Cherry Blossom Festival. Some 400 cherry blossom trees bloom in the surrounding park, an…

• Awara,Sakai,Fukui

The Ichijodani Asakura Clan Ruins, located in Ichijodani about 10 km southeast of Fukui City, were once a castle town during the Warring States period (1467–1568). Starting in 1967, excavations rediscovered the layout of the town, including t…

• Awara,Sakai,Fukui

Hakusan Heisenji Shrine was originally established in 717, and is best known for its mossy grounds and gardens. Today, Hakusan Heisenji Shrine is beloved as a quiet refuge from the modern world. Along the path to the shrine, moss covers parts of th…

• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

Sabae produces over 90% of all eyeglass frames made in Japan. The Megane Museum (“Glasses Museum”), located here, teaches visitors about the history of glasses, and the more than 200 steps involved in making a pair. Visitors can make re…

• Tannan

Uriwarinotaki falls is located near Obama, known for a delicious natural spring that produces cold water all year round—consistently 13°C, even in summer. Unlike most famous waterfalls, it is wide and low to the ground, spreading out into…

• Wakasa

Temple Retreat Experience: A one-day monk's training experience. Stay overnight at the temple and participate in zazen meditation and morning services. ※Currently suspended※ Sutra Copying Experience: Sit with proper posture, calm your mind, and cop…

• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

Awara Onsen is Fukui’s largest hot spring resort town, with many hot spring inns of all sizes. Awara Onsen has been welcoming many guests since its opening in 1881, and is so elegant that it is called "the inner parlor of Kansai&quo…

• Awara,Sakai,Fukui

Echizen Ono Castle has risen to international fame in recent years, for a unique weather phenomenon. The castle sits about 250 meters up, on a small mountain surrounded by the city of Ono. On some mornings from late autumn through spring, when the …

• Eiheiji, Okuetsu

The ruins of Fukui Castle are located a few hundred meters from Fukui Station, now surrounding the Fukui Prefectural Office building. Fuku-no-I, an old well said to be the origin of the name “Fukui,” can be found in the northwest corner…

• Awara,Sakai,Fukui

Echizen Pottery Village is a collection of facilities where visitors can learn about, and experience, Echizen Pottery. Visit the Fukui Prefectural Museum of Ceramics, explore a park full of modern sculptures, or shape your own Echizen Pottery out o…

• Tannan

The Tsuruga Aka Renga red brick warehouse is a facility consisting of two historic brick buildings. One of the buildings serves as a museum showing the history of Tsuruga, with a 27-meter-long diorama that depicts the city as it was in the 1940s. T…

• Wakasa

A 10-minute walk from Fukui Station and about 5 minutes from the ruins of Fukui Castle, Yokokan Garden is known for its harmony between the garden and the buildings in it. The villa inside is set on a large koi carp pond, with a number of stone &ld…

• Awara,Sakai,Fukui

Kehi Jingu Shrine has been famous for its “Chomeisui,” or “water of long life,” for roughly 1,300 years. When the shrine was rebuilt in the year 702, a water spring was discovered here. It was considered sacred because the s…

• Wakasa

Located in the quiet mountains of Shoden-cho, Echizen City, Gotanjoji Temple ーof the Soto Zen Buddhist sectー is a temple specializing in ascetic practices where monks devote themselves to daily training.Commonly called "Neko-dera," or c…

• Tannan

At the bottom of Suigetsu Lake, one of the Three Lakes of Mikata, sediment from the past 70,000 years forms distinct stripes. These annual growth rings, known as "nenko," are recognized as the global standard for dating. Inside the museum…

• Wakasa

Echizen City is where Murasaki Shikibu (970–1019), the author of The Tale of Genji, lived away from the capital for the only time in her life. It is said that she visited the city with her father, Fujiwara no Tameoki, who became the governor …

• Tannan