1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Eiheiji Temple and Fukui City Castle Town

Often overlooked when travelers head along the Sea of Japan, Fukui is another one of Japan’s prefectures that has as much history and natural beauty as any other. As the entrance to the Hokuriku region, Fukui has served as a crossroads for trade routes and arena for war throughout Japanese history. This tour will have you walk by a castle as well as a temple where buildings from the former castle were moved. Then get stunning views of the modern city skyline from a hill with over a thousand years of history. Finally, explore one of the head temples of Zen Buddhism in an idyllic mountain setting. Let’s dive deep into a lesser traveled area of Japan that will leave you wanting to come back to Fukui for more.

Highlights

• Walk around the castle town of Fukui, with an interesting “rainbow” shrine and castle walls

• Enter two different rooms that were moved from the castle to a temple that were actually used by daimyos over 150 years ago

• Climb the small Atagozaka Slope to get the best views of the ever changing view of the Fukui City skyline

• Explore stunning Eiheiji Temple, one of the head Zen Buddhist temples with its beautiful mixture of centuries old cedar trees and Japanese architecture

*For those looking to join the tour from Tokyo or start from Fukui, please see the FAQ Section below

Description

This tour will start at Kanazawa Station at 8:30 A.M., where your guide will meet you in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. You will have the opportunity to put your belongings in a coin locker at the station as well if you feel the need.

Soon after grouping up we will hop on the train to Fukui. The about 40 minute ride will give you an excellent view of the mountains to the west. They are especially stunning from December to April when they are covered in snow.

After arriving at Fukui Station, you will be greeted by some unlikely hosts, a multitude of dinosaur statues. This prefecture is the location of Japan’s largest archaeological dig and has a few dinosaurs named after it. There will be time to walk around the station and find some of the more artistic and funny ones. Those starting the tour from Fukui Station will join us in front of the dinosaur skeleton next to the East Exit inside the station. Please see the meeting points section below for more details.

For the next section of the tour we will walk to the castle ruins. It is most famous for its great walls and moat and even more unusually, the prefectural office and police headquarters inside. The walls are original to the construction but there is also a bridge that faithfully reproduces what it looked like during the Edo period. There wasn’t a keep for many years so instead the gates around the castle were reinforced to act as the final line of defense, making it unique among castles in Japan.

A short walk away from the castle is a shrine that has recently become popular because of the origami cranes that are hung at the entrance. The cranes are a really striking visual that imbues hope for a better future. Following the shrine is walk and short bus ride to a different part of the city.

This area of the city has a long history, recorded in historical records from before the 700s. We will walk along the edge of a large hill until reaching Zuigenji Temple. This temple has two rooms from the former Fukui castle. They were both rooms where the daimyo used to conduct his private business and often slept. One of the rooms is preserved as is from that time period. The stunning details and colors used by the Japanese upper class is something to marvel at.

The final stop before lunch is the Atagozaka or the Atago Slope. This is a series of staircases that lead up to the top of a large series of hills. One of the oldest shrines in all of the prefecture as well as probably the best view of Fukui City’s modern skyline is near the top. The brand new buildings against the tree-covered mountains in the background is really beautiful.

Coming down from the view point, we will head towards the Katamachi area near the station where you will have time for lunch. Feel free to ask your guide about recommendations. The local specialties in Fukui City are Echizen soba noodles and katsu(fried port cutlet).

The afternoon part of the tour will start by gathering at Fukui Station and hopping on a direct bus to Eiheiji Temple. It is one of the head temples of the Zen Buddhist sect that has been in existence since the 1200s. Many of the buildings and cedar trees that surround them are said to be from around the founding, making them about 680 years old. This makes for an unbelievable sight, especially during the autumn months.

There are so many great angles to find that mix traditional architecture and timeless nature, both on the temple ground itself and around it. As we slowly walk through the complex your guide will talk about the history of Zen Buddhism, Eiheiji Temple and their importance to Japanese history.

You will be given some time to explore the temple and town for yourself so try to find that perfect picture spot or just decompress in the chilly mountain air. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your guide!

After getting a taste of Zen in its Japanese homeland, we will head back to the hustle and bustle of city life. We will get on a direct bus back to Fukui, that will take just under 30 minutes. At Fukui Station it will be time to leave our friends and say the first goodbyes of the day. The final part of the tour is a train to Kanazawa and should get us back home by 18:00. Just in time for dinner! Here we will say our goodbyes but if you have any questions about Kanazawa city or ideas for what to eat/do, please do not hesitate to ask!

TOUR MEETUP POINT

1 / KANAZAWA STATION @ 8:30 A.M.

The meetup point is outside of the Shinkansen ticket gates, in front of the information center. If you are heading out from the gates, look forward and to the right and you will see a four large sumo wrestlers lined up. This is where we will be meeting. For those coming from outside the station, you will find this sign immediately inside of the East Entrance of Kanazawa Station. You may wait nearby there until the tour begins at 8:30 A.M. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

2 / FUKUI STATION @ 9:30 A.M.

The meeting point for those joining us from Fukui Station itself is at the large dinosaur skeleton(it is a Fukuiraptor) next to the East Exit(Ichijodani Exit). We will be coming from Kanazawa so we will exit form these tickets gates to meet you almost exactly at 9:30. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

NOTES

Included

• Transportation to and from Fukui Station(Kanazawa Start), Eiheiji and the local Fukui bus
• English speaking guide
• Entry fee at Eiheiji Temple
• Guided Tour at Zuigenji’s castle rooms, Eiheiji Temple and other locations

Excluded

• Lunch
• Accommodation
• Shinkansen/Transportation to Kanazawa Station start point

Other Information

• This tour involves several hours of walking in the outdoors. We recommend that you wear shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or rain coat if necessary.

• In winter the temperatures will be below 10℃ at the high , and in the morning and evening may be close to or below 0℃. Please wear warm clothing and footwear appropriate for snowy and cold conditions. There may also be snow and ice on the road/sidewalk, and so you should take care to not slip by preparing the correct shoes for such conditions.

• There will be free time along the way for guests to enjoy the locations at their own pace. However, please make sure that you are at the respective meetup points at the time stated by your guide. If you get lost or need assistance, feel free to call the number which is listed on your tour pass, and our staff will assist you immediately.