Daihonzan Eiheiji — Attraction in Eiheiji

We took the Eihei-ji Liner bus at the bus stop from the east exit of Fukui Station to Eihei-ji. When we got off the bus, the rain was very heavy. Fortunately, the stop was a building to prevent being wet. After a while, when the rain was getting lighter, we walked to the visitor center to buy the tickets. The center was self-service , there was a ticket machine, and lots of information to take. After buying the tickets, we walked to Eihei-ji. Eihei-ji was one of two main temples of Sōtō Zen in Japan. The temple name was "Ji-siang Mountain" meaning happiness allover the mountain. And , the main god was Sakyamuni, Maitreya Buddha and Amitabha. Normally, the famous mountain gate named "Tangmen" we saw on the poster was closed, and the visitors came in and out from the General Gate which was a big building and had to go upstairs. When entering the building, we took off shoes, handed over the tickets and our shuincho to the counter staffs, and when we finished visiting, returned to take the shuincho. I saw a few piles of shuinchos on the counter, and three staffs were busy writing. Obviously , the number of visitors here was amazing! At present, there were still more than 200 monks practicing here, so it was very impolite to be noisy and take pictures against the monks. Eihei-ji covered a very large area. It was said that there were more than 70 buildings and it stretched over the whole mountain. Therefore, it spended at least two to three hours to finish visiting. Even though, the visit indicators were very detailed and perfect, as long as visitors followed the indicators, they would never get lost. Because Eihei-ji was far away from the city, it was very quiet, and the buildings were built on the mountain, blending with nature, surrounded by centuries-old giant firs, so many tourists came here mainly for the tranquility and beauty. This was also one of the reasons why I loved this temple very much. There were many places worthy of savoring in this temple. When we stepped into the Big Hall, we were deeply attracted by hundreds of beautiful flower and bird paintings on the ceiling. The temple staffs were afraid that the visitors would be too hard to enjoy the paintings, so they copied the paintings to be smaller ones and gathered on the wall for the visitors to enjoy them. When we walked to the Big Restaurant, we saw a huge stick hanging from the ceiling. It was said that it symbolized cooking. So as visitors touched it by hand, they would be good at cooking. Very interesting! Besides, there were many buildings connected each oter with the corridors, even if it rained, didn't worry. If visitors walked to be tired, there were lots of chairs for them to rest. It was worthy to mention that there were many rest rooms, and even platforms for infants to change diapers. How thoughtful the staffs were!! If you want to visit Eihei-ji, then I suggest you to purchase the Eihei-ji- Tojinbo 2 day pass bus ticket at the Keifuku Bus Counter of Echizen Railway Fukui Station and take the Eihei-ji Line at the east exit of Fukui Station. This will save you much time and...

Eiheiji Temple One-Day Monk Experience – A Peaceful and Enlightening Retreat

It took me about 3.5 hours to travel from Tokyo to Fukui, but the journey was absolutely worth it. Eiheiji Temple offers a deeply peaceful and reflective atmosphere, unlike anywhere I’ve ever been.

The highlight for me was learning zazen (seated meditation) the proper way. The program had English-speaking guides who were incredibly kind and respectful to us international participants. There were only six of us from abroad, while the rest were Japanese students (around 10–15). They followed a different schedule from us, and honestly, I wish I spoke Japanese to engage more deeply with the experience.

We were asked to wake up at 3:50 AM, and interestingly, there was no shower the next day—which I personally found a bit uncomfortable. If given a choice, I’d rather wake at 3:30 AM just to have a quick shower and feel refreshed before starting the day.

During the zazen session, the core message was clear: enlightenment comes from within, and practice should be part of daily life. I’ve done meditation before, but Soto Zen teaches you to meditate with your eyes open, which is surprisingly challenging. Even in a quiet space, thoughts and emotions constantly bubble up—nothing too serious, just random things. It feels like you’re quietly observing your own soul. And yes, sitting for 30 minutes will definitely make your legs go numb!

They also taught us about mindful eating. There was a beautiful chanting ceremony before meals to express gratitude, which I found really touching. They even gave us souvenir chopsticks and a small booklet so we can continue the practice at home.

One of the most powerful moments was the early morning prayer ceremony. All the monks gathered and chanted in unison—it felt sacred, healing, and almost magical.

Overall, I learned so much from this one-day monk experience. It wasn’t just about meditation or rituals—it was about slowing down, being present, and finding meaning in small, everyday actions. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a meaningful escape from the busy modern world.

The one-day monk experience costs ¥15,000 and must be applied for at least a month in advance. Your application also needs to be approved by the temple.

I stayed in the women’s tatami room, and it was surprisingly comfortable and beautiful—it honestly felt a bit luxurious. The soft green and yellow tones were calming and well-coordinated, adding to the serene vibe.

What really surprised me was the bath setup—it’s similar to a traditional public bath, where everyone bathes nude. There’s even a large shared hot tub in the center where you can soak and relax. It was an unexpected but authentic part of...

This place is breathtaking and if you can you should definitely stop here for a visit.

We arrived by car and parked in one of the first parking lots we found in the village, it was 300 yen for the day and overall was one of the cheapest. From there we walked 10 mins uphill to reach the area where the temple is located.

The first impression is majestic with secular trees surrounding the buildings. Once you enter and pay the fee (700 yen per person) you will take off your shoes in the provided bags and will be guided by colorful lines on the wooden floor.

Just walking around the area in silence gives you a sense of zen. This place is solemn and you can see monks walking around and taking care of the gardens. There are videos along the way together with informational signs (all translated to English) that provide interesting insights on the history of the temple and how it is used today by the monks living there.

This is definitely in the top 5 of the places I...