DISCOVER FUKUI

The temple of Eiheiji was founded in 1244, and this large temple complex is still in active use today as a center for Buddhist monk practice. The temple offers in-depth experiences, but also welcomes more casual visitors. Visitors can tour Eiheiji’s beautiful old buildings, which are connected by covered wooden walkways surrounding a central garden. The vast and peaceful temple grounds are filled with greenery to explore, with giant cedar trees said to be as much as 550 years old. Near the temple, there is a trail up a mountain that leads to a view of the entire temple below, surrounded by the forests. Seeing this major temple complex looking so small can be a powerful reminder of the scale of the great outdoors.

Heisenji Hakusan Shrine in Katsuyama is named after the sacred Mt. Hakusan. This mountain has been a center of faith in Japan for many centuries, and Heisenji was built in its foothills in the year 717. Today, the shrine is beloved as a quiet refuge from the modern world, with old stone paths that lead through fields of moss and forests of huge trees. For many centuries, Heisenji additionally served as a major Tendai Buddhist temple. However, Shinto and Buddhism were forcibly separated by the government during the Meiji era (1868–1912), to limit their power as part of Japan’s Westernization. As a result, this is a rare example of a Shinto shrine with a name ending in ‑ji (lit. “temple”).
 
 Myotsuji Temple is located deep in the densely forested mountains of Obama. This peaceful temple dates back to the year 806, and is home to two national treasures: the main hall and the three-tiered pagoda. The main hall contains large, historic Buddhist statues, as well as walls covered with countless small statues of the protector deity Jizo. Each Jizo was given as a dedication from a visitor, and holds a little flag representing a specific type of prayer.

The Echizen region is famous for producing paper, so it may come as no surprise that Okamoto-Otaki Jinja Shrine in Echizen is Japan’s only shrine dedicated to the goddess of paper. According to legend, some 1,500 years ago, a beautiful woman named Kawakami Gozen appeared upstream along the Okamoto River. She is said to have first taught the people of the village how to use their natural resources to make paper. Nowadays, this shrine is known for its history, beautiful grounds, and even its very unusual architecture: Okamoto Shrine and Otaki Shrine share a complex single roof that connects and combines the two shrines into one. At the nearby Papyrus House, visitors can use Echizen paper to make their own ema votives, and then hang them at the shrine as an offering.

Some shrines in Fukui are popular destinations for not only their beauty, but for specific blessings. For roughly 1,300 years, Kehi Jingu Shrine in Tsuruga has been famous for its “Chomeisui,” or “water of long life.” This shrine was originally dedicated to a single deity, but in the year 702, Emperor Monmu decided that it should be rebuilt, and dedicated to a total of seven deities. During the rebuilding process, a water spring was discovered at the shrine. Because of the location, and the fact that the shrine’s deities lived very long lives, this spring water was considered sacred, and came with the promise of long life. Today, the Chomeisui water flows out from multiple places on the shrine grounds, and visitors can even purchase a bottle to fill up and take home.
 
 Also in Tsuruga is Kanegasakigu Shrine, known locally as the “shrine of love.” In the early 1900s, the shrine became a hot spot for the cherry blossoms in spring. Young men and women would exchange cherry blossom branches, as a way to express their feelings for one another. Over the years, this tradition grew into the annual Flower-Exchanging Festival, held in early April. The festival represents a search for romance, and serves as a broader celebration of prayers that have been answered.