Zen in the Woods: A Day Trip to elegant Eiheiji

In my quest to visit places in Japan where relatively few people visit, I came across Fukui. Fukui is not completely off the beaten track, for it has always been well connected to the tourist hubs of Osaka and Kyoto. You can easily get to Fukui by train, either Limited Express Train and now also by Hokuriku Shinkansen.

But for some reason, Fukui doesn’t see a lot of tourists. Which is a shame. With the scenic Echizen Coast, an abundance of dinosaur fossils excavated in the area, an enormous Buddha statue near the Dinosaur Museum, the head temple of Sōtō Zen, and the centre of Japan’s eyeglass industry, Fukui is a really interesting place to visit.

So, for my first trip to Fukui I picked some places that are easy to reach on public transport. Let’s start with Eiheiji, the Head Temple of the Sōtō School of Zen Buddhism! Despite a few trips to Kyoto and many temple visits, I always got a bit confused with the different directions of Buddhism. In a nutshell, most of Kyoto’s famous temples are Zen Temples of the Rinzai School of Zen Buddhism. The Sōtō School of Zen Buddhism in general is considered the more “accessible” one to those with a mere interest and no previous knowledge of Zen Buddhism, not least to the teachings of D.T. Suzuki and other Japanese philosophers in the West, and plenty of Zen training in North America and Western Europe originated from the Sōtō Zen School.

What is the Sōtō School of Zen Buddhism?

I will just make a brief excursion into Sōtō Zen Buddhism here. I am working on a different post on visiting Buddhist temples in Kyoto and different schools of Buddhism, but give me time to read enough about it!

While the indigenous religion of Japan and of most people in Japan is Shinto (神道), Buddhism came to Japan by sea trade from India via China and Korea from the 6th Century CE. It always happily sat along with the native Shinto System, and many of the ideas, beliefs and practices were combined and integrated into one harmonious practice – this Syncretism was accepted and cultivated until the Meiji Restoration in the 19th Century.

Before the country was shut off under the reign of the Tokugawa Clan in the 17th Century, the trade with China and Korea led to ideological and religious exchange with China and import of some of their cultural achievements as well as development of Buddhist Schools unique to Japan – but often inspired by China.

So, Zen Buddhism has Chinese roots, too, and was brought into Japan by travelling scholar-monks during the Kamakura period. One of these scholars was Eisei, who established the Rinzai School of Zen at Kennin-ji in Kyoto in 1202 CE. Another scholar-monk, Dōgen, studied at Kennin-ji and in China and established the Sōtō School at Eihei-ji after being offered land by one of the new ruling clans of the Kamakura-era shogunate. He abandoned the small temple in Kyoto he had been setting up and settled here in the countryside with his disciples. Today, Daihonzan Eiheiji is seen as one of two head temples of Sōtō Zen Buddhism.

What can you expect from a trip to Daihonzan Eiheiji?

Daihonzan Eiheiji is not just a head temple of Sōtō Zen School, but also one of Zen Buddhism’s largest training monasteries. It is open to visitors year round.

Definitely consider a visit if you

• Have an interest in Zen Buddhism and wish to see an active monastery
• Love pared down, beautiful traditional architecture
• Love temples in harmonious natural settings

Daihonzan Eiheiji might not be for you if you

• Are looking for arts associated with Zen, like Calligraphy, Tea ceremony and Dry gardens
• Are looking for a lively place full of action
• Expect instant meditation sessions on the spot – these are not offered, and there is little interaction with the monks on regular visits
• Are just travelling through. With frequent buses, you could visit in 3-4 hours from Fukui, but it would be a shame to rush your visit

A Winter Visit to Eihei-ji

Coming from deepest winter in Hida-Takayama, I loved the sunshine that finally broke through as I reached Toyama with its gleaming new station and large omiyage mall. Travelling by Hokuriku Shinkansen, I was in Fukui within the hour. Here was another bright if somewhat nondescript looking city centre with a station looking just like the one at Toyama – guarded by a huge animated dinosaur.

I dropped my luggage at the hotel and set off to find the bus stop for Eiheiji. I noted a small tourist information pavillion between the dinosaur and the station entrance – so I thought I’d try it out and was very pleased that they offered advice in English, and, without me asking, handed me a timetable for the bus to Eiheiji. and showed where the bus would depart. So I walked through the station, a pretty standard issue with an East and a West Exit, and found a coach waiting, with Eiheiji clearly marked in Japanese and English, at the Station East Plaza (the one without the dinosaur)

Forty minutes of quiet ride through the suburbs and the countryside later, we pulled up in a decent-sized village where we were handed discount coupons for one of the local restaurants. Since it was a weekday, the “souvenir street” leading up to Eiheiji looked very quiet, most shops closed.

The bright direct approach path running parallel to the souvenir street has the Hakujukan, the temple-run luxury accommodation on one and a bright cafe and elegant craft shop on the other side. I walked up the pine-fringed paved path to the monastery complex. It takes ten minutes at the most from the bus stop to walk to the entrance of Daihonzan Eiheiji.

It’s a pretty location in a gentle hillside, and the monastery complex looks pared-down and elegant, with some nice gardens out front and right on approach. Soon, the iconic 19th Century Karamon Gate came into view. It looked a bit like a stairway to heaven and it can be seen on many articles on Eiheiji – but you cannot walk through it. It is permanently closed. It was only opened in the past for Imperial messengers. It’s proper name is “Chokushimon” or “Imperial Envoy” Gate and it was only opened for any one with business from the Emperor. So you can only admire it from a distance today.

Moving on, we entered the huge reception hall (Kinchijokaku), a very spacious room with seating, the prerequisite drinks machines, a souvenir shop and goshuin office. You can see it wasn’t exactly busy on a weekday afternoon – just, that is, the few people from the bus and a small school group.

The modern reception hall is geared up for large numbers of visitors. You can already see the line marking the start of the visiting route in the front. Perhaps weekends see a larger number of visitors.

I gave my goshuin book, as it takes about 30 minutes for the goshuin to be hand-written. Kitted out in the mandatory slippers, I continued to a small room to watch an educational video about the temple and about monastic practice before moving on.

I noticed that at Eiheiji, they have taken great care to explain about Zen Buddhism and the daily routine in a Zen Buddhist Monastery quite carefully – with carefully crafted videos, and a lot of video screens in many of the rooms.

The buildings of Eiheiji are connected by covered staircases – meaning you never get wet once inside the complex, but also, keeping us from enjoying the forest views. The overall atmosphere was so calm. occasionally, we would see a few monks working in the garden and in the hallways.

On we went, towards a huge tatami covered hall called Sanshokaku. Eiheiji burned down and was rebuilt many times, and this large hall is a 1990’s addition. As far as I understood, it is used for receptions, lectures and talks.

There are some very pretty naturalist paintings on the ceiling. Basically, I just followed the signs, and after she Sanshokaku, climbed a lot of stairs. Note there is a wheelchair route which uses lifts between the different levels.

Walking past the restrooms and the off-limits Sodō (Monk’s Hall)  where monks study, meditate and sleep, we climbed up to Eiheiji’s prominent structures: The Hattō (Dharma Hall). I was amazed how clean and spotless these wooden stairs were. Allegedly, they get swept and mopped daily as part of the Zen practice.

The Hattō looked very similar to many other Buddhist temples I had visited in Japan, with dark wood, an altar and golden stylized garlands hanging from the ceiling very decoratively.

The Hattō is used for morning services and lectures, and it sits at the highest point of Daihonzan Eiheiji.

The whole complex of Eiheiji is likened to Buddha resting in the lotus position – if you look at it from the air. I tried my very best to follow it on the map that was on display. Well – you need a lot of imagination to follow this. I think I can agree that the Hattō is where the head is, which makes perfect sense.

But truth is, the design follows the “Shichidō garan” – seven halls that make up the optimised Buddhist compound: The Butsu-den (仏殿, Main Hall), Hattō (法堂, Dharma Hall or Lecture Hall), Sodō (僧, meditation room and sleeping quarters), Daikuin (kitchen office and administration), Sanmon (Main Gate), Tosu (restroom) and Yokushitsu (bath).

However, I may not have been able to follow some of the more symbolist descriptions, but I really enjoyed the elegant, airy complex of Daihonzan Eiheiji.

Although it looked very similar in many parts, there were always little surprises around the corner, like this large censer in front of the Joyoden our Founders Hall, and the final resting place of the ashes of Master Dogen.

At this point, I was somewhat surprised that the incense wasa burning there merrily, only to be attended by the lion-dog which no doubt was looking very cute, but burning stuff in a complex full of nice aged wood?

And so, we began our descent on another staircase, to view the Butsuden. This translates as Buddha Hall, where statues of the Buddha guard the monastery -and the Beyond. This one I loved the most. So peaceful, elegant and atmospheric. This is a late Meiji Era (re)build. As you can see, I had it pretty much to myself. Only made small talk with some Japanese visitors in hushed tones. In it but slightly obscured by my perspective here, are three gilded Buddha statues, representing past (Amitābha), present (Shakyamuni) or the historical Buddha) and future (Maitreya).

And yes, it is totally fine to take photographs here. The only off-limit areas are Sodo, the Joyoden and Shidoden (mausolea) and any anywhere with residents in it. Different school snad different temples may have different rules, so it is always important to keep an eye out for signs or ask when in doubt.

So, I obviously have no photos of these. The Shidoden can be visited. It is a medium-sized pavilion similar in style to what you see in these photos, and contains ashes and memorial tablets of followers and lay people, whereas Master Dogen’s ashes are kept in another memorial hall called Joyoden close to the Hatto.

It takes about an hour to view the public areas of Eihei-ji at a leisurely pace. Last, I passed the Daikuin, with a small altar dedicated to Bodhisattva Idasonten (韋駄天) who is known to be a guardian of Buddhist monasteries.

You can see the mon (crest) of Eiheiji quite clearly in this small altar. It is beautiful with stylized gentian flowers. I think the cross that the Catholic in me is seeing here is purely incidental. I thought it was so beautiful, so before I left, I bought an incense stick holder cast in tin from nearby Toyama, as I was in the market for a beautiful incense burner.

Unfortunately, with the prescribed route, it was not really possible to get a good view of the Sanmon, but smaller gates like the Chojakumon here were quite clearly visible – you can just catch a glimpse of the monumental Sanmon from far as the monastery requests visitors to remin indoors and on the

So, here is another view of the Sanmon visible behind the Chujakumon from the Buddha Hall.

I concluded my visit with picking up my goshuincho, enjoying a cold drink in the large reception hall then ambled town the pretty deserted Eiheiji Monzen street, with most shops closed, back to the bus stop.

If you feel hungry after your visit, there are a couple restaurants next to the bus stop, offering mostly soba noodle-based dishes, and there is also a special shop selling “Daruma Pudding”.

There’s a lovely airy cafe called Hikari Terrace opposite the Hakujukan, the elegant hotel run by Eiheiji. Also, they have a small shop selling beautiful artisanal tin and brass from Toyama called Nousaku. The perfect place to buy a high-quality souvenir.

Rules for visiting Eiheiji

They are simple and cover common sense. I copied them from the temple’s website, just in case.

“All visitors, even those who come only for sightseeing, are received and are expected to behave with respect as participants in religious activities.

1. Please wear neat, modest clothing, suitable for a place of religious practice.
2. Be quiet all times, especially in the zazen, lecture, and ceremony halls.
3. When walking, either indoors or outdoors, always keep to the left.
4. Do not touch the bells, drums, other instruments or altar furnishings.
5. Smoking is prohibited except in areas specifically posted for smoking.
6. Photographing the priests and monks is prohibited.
7. Visitors who are intoxicated or who cause a nuisance will not be permitted to enter the temple, nor to remain in the entrance hall of the temple.
8. Do not step into the gardens, but remain on the wooden corridor.”

If you want to see whether a trip to Eiheiji might be for you, you can watch this short film. It is English with German subtitles.

This is quite clearly a place for quiet serious worship, and despite the relatively dark surroundings, the visit felt light and positive. Occasionally, we’s come across some monks working in the garden, passing through the corridors, with open, friendly faces.

For those with a serious interest, short one night meditation retreats can be arranged with the monastery directly – but I have yt to figure out whether that’s exclusively for male visitors or whether women are allowed, too. If they are, I really would like to do it!

Getting to Fukui and Eiheiji

It’s super super easy! Fukui can easily be visited on a day trip from Kanazawa, Kyoto or Osaka, although I recommend that you stay a night.

From Osaka or Kyoto, take a Thunderbird Limited Express train, running roughly every half hour, to Tsuruga. Here, it’s a swift change onto the new Hokuriku Shinkansen which runs very frequently but stops at night. If you want to save money, you can also take the Hapi Line for the final 40km between Tsuruga and Fukui, the the fare will be under 5000JPY.

Alternatively, you can take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Maibara and then the Hokuriku and Hapi Lines. 

I usually travel on a regional train pass, which includes Shinkansen travel  – I have used the Hokuriku Arch Pass, Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass and Takayama Hokuriku Tourist Pass to travel in the region, and all these include the Kyoto-Fukui-Kanazawa route.

Where to Stay

I stayed at the Dormy Inn Premium in central Fukui, about five minutes on foot from Fukui Station. It was my first stay at a Dormy Inn, and yes, i’d happily stay there again. The Dormy Inn is pretty much a standard business hotel, with small but comfortable rooms, but All Dormy Inn have an on-site onsen. Yes, not just a hot bath but an actual hot spring bath! The one At Dormy Inn Premium Fukui is spacious, with indoor and outdoor baths. I paid about 10000JPY, but with a bit of luck, you can secure a deal for about 7000JPY. I was a bit surprised that there aren’t that many accommodation options in Fukui given its considerable size. If you want higher comfort, I would say the Courtyard by Marriott is not a bad choice – right by the station, with large airy rooms, but no onsen, and usually in a higher price bracket than the Dormy Inn.

If your budget is bigger and you want to stay next to the temple, and perhaps take part in a meditation session, I recommend the Hakujukan. This modern ryokan is run by Eiheiji Temple, and although the interior is simple-elegant, there is no monastic sparseness here. Just so you know, if you have a serious interest in Buddhism, you can ask to register at Eiheiji and spend a night at the actual temple, including 4am wake up and meditation.

And last not least, if you really love a countryside retreat, you can stay at ToBay 古民家民泊藤兵衛 , in a traditional house in the countryside, yet just 100m from Echizen Takehara Train Station. This house is a spacious holiday home in a traditional village house, with a few restaurants and places to buy food in walking distance, too, and works out best if you are a small group.

The Small Print

I visited Fukui and Eihei-ji in January 2025 on a Nagoya-Takayama-Fukui-Kyoto round trip. I have an interest in religion and Buddhism but I am still learning and I am not a Buddhist, so please forgive me for any inaccuracies that may have crept in here. I always appreciate honest feedback and corrections.

As always, I was paying my own way, so nothing you see here was sponsored, and I did not receive compensation, discounts, or special treatment in exchange for writing it. All my own honest and unbiased opinion.

This post reflects my personal opinion and experience and is not a statement of fact about any places or accommodation mentioned in this post. This post contains affiliate links to Booking.com. If you book a hotel using my affiliate links, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please refer to my blog’s Terms and Conditions for further information.

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Thank you for reading!