A new stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Fukui is now easily accessible for everyone from Tokyo and Osaka. A short distance from the station is Fukui Castle, the former center of daimyo rule by the Matsudaira Family. The walls are from the Edo period and are quite impressive against the giant moat around them. Today the inside of the castle is still the center of power in the region as it is unusually home to the current prefectural government and police headquarters. The sight of the most powerful people in the prefecture occupying the same location as rulers past is quite the juxtaposition. There are some interesting bridges that have been rebuilt around the castle so you can experience the uniqueness of what this castle is and was.

The current version of the castle dates back to 1601, overlapping with the former castle that was the center of rule in Echizen(modern day Fukui). Many of the stones of the wall that stands today were actually taken from this previous castle. The first lord of Fukui was the second son of the first Shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and took the name Matsudaira. It is said that the Shogun himself helped design the castle, with extensive defenses and one of the largest moat systems in all of Japan. This was all with the most powerful daimyo in mind, the close by Maeda family in Kanazawa.

In 1871 the castle was basically taken apart and the moats filled in and it came to have the appearance you can see today. Although two of the rooms from the palace of the daimyo of Fukui you can find at Zuigenji Temple in the city. They were moved there earlier in the 1800s to use as a base to rebuild the temple after a fire. Finally, some of the gates were rebuilt around the castle to demonstrate the unique defensive structures of the castle. After a fire, the castle tower wasn’t rebuilt and instead the gates were reinforced and built in an interesting way.

If you are interested in visiting some of the sights in Fukui city, such as the castle and the Atagozaka Slope, join us for one of of tours! It doesn’t just stay in Fukui, as well. You will have the opportunity to see Eiheiji, one of the Head Temples for Zen Buddhism. It is a full day of learning about the history of the area and feeling the spirituality of the Japanese mountains. See below for more information!

EIHEIJI & FUKUI CITY FROM KANAZAWA / all year round

1 Day Tour

1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Eiheiji Temple and Fukui City Castle Town
Period	All Year Round
Time	08:30 – 18:00
Meeting Place	Kanazawa Station Fukui Station
Adult Rate	¥25,300 / 17,800
Child Rate	¥14,500 / 11,000

As one of the head temples of the world famous Japanese Zen Buddhist sect, Eiheiji Temple is a place where you can feel the mystery and beauty of traditional architecture hidden in a natural paradise. On this tour you can choose start from either Kanazawa Station or Fukui Station. After grouping up at Fukui Station, we will take a tour of the city in the morning, seeing the castle walls, the “rainbow” shrine, and views of the city from the Atagozaka Slope. We will eat in the city before heading out on a direct bus to Eiheiji Temple. The ride into the mountains is about 30 minutes and we will arrive near the temple grounds. This area has had groupings of temples for over 500 hundred years and at its peak had thousands of monks living in the area. We will walk through the temple and learn about the history as we climb up deeper into the temple. There are many excellent photo spots to discover, too. The are so many interesting angles that catch the intertwining of nature and architecture all over the complex. Try to find the one that touches you the most!