- Zuigenji Cemetery - Start your tour at Kanazawa Station, where your guide will greet you to begin the tour. The meeting point will be outside the Shinkansen ticket gate, in front of the information center sign. We will then get on the train to Fukui.
Arrive at Fukui Station and start the tour by walking around the station to find all the interesting dinosaur statues and art. We will then depart to see the castle walls and bridge before stopping over at the “rainbow” shrine.
We will get on the bus and head to a different side of the city where we will see a daimyo’s room turned temple, a hill view history that stretches back over a millennium, and the best view of the city skyline.
- Fukui Castle Ruins - For the next section of the tour we will walk to the castle ruins, with the 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. It is a striking visual to imbue hope for a better future. Following the shrine is a walk and a short bus ride to a slightly different part of the city.
- Atagozaka - 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 prefectures rests up here as well is probably the best view of Fukui City’s modern skyline. The brand-new buildings against the mountains in the background is really beautiful.
Coming down from the viewpoint, we will head towards the Katamachi area near the station where you will have time for lunch. Feel free to ask your guide for recommendations. The local specialties in Fukui City are Echizen soba and katsu(fried port cutlet).
- Daihonzan Eihei-ji Temple - It’s time for lunch! Feel free to ask your guide for recommendations for local Fukui specialties. After lunch meet back at Fukui Station and get on the direct bus to to Eiheiji.
Arrive at Eiheiji, one of the head temples of Zen Buddhism, and discover the surreal blend of Japanese traditional architecture with a natural environment that is just as beautiful. We will have the chance to walk around the temple and you can learn about the history and importance of this Buddhist sect and this temple in particular. You will also have some time to explore at your own pace as well.
After getting a taste of Zen in its Japanese homeland, we will head back to the hustle and bustle of city life. Getting on a direct bus back to Fukui Station will take just under 30 minutes, where we will leave our friends staying in Fukui, and then the train to Kanazawa should get us back home by 18:00.
- English speaking guide
- Entry fee at Eiheiji Temple
- Guided Tour at Zuigenji’s castle rooms, Eiheiji Temple and other locations
- Transportation to and from Fukui Station (Kanazawa Start), Eiheiji and the local Fukui bus
- Lunch
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 many important wars and trade routes throughout Japanese history. This tour will have you walk by the castle and also a temple where buildings form the former castle were moved, get stunning views of the modern city skyline from a hill with over a thousand years of history and dive into one of the head temples of Zen Buddhism in an idyllic mountain setting. Let’s dive deep into lesser traveled area of Japan that leave you wanting to come back to Fukui for more.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
