Eiheiji Temple: Temple in the Shape of a Seated Buddha

Approximately half an hour east of Fukui City lies Eiheiji Temple. Founded in 1244, it is one of the two head temples of Soto Zen Buddhism. In addition to the amazing setting (a forested valley in the mountains), the buildings form the shape of a seated Buddha.

History of Eiheiji Temple

Eiheiji Temple was founded in 1244 by Dogen Zenji, who brought Soto Zen Buddhism from China to Japan. He wanted to create a temple away from the troubles of the Kamakura period, which included many wars and two eventual Mongol invasions (in 1274 and 1281). This temple, Eiheiji (using the Kanji for ‘eternal peace’), was meant to train monks in zazen (a form of Buddhist meditation) – something it has done ever since.

Unfortunately, while it taught ‘eternal peace’, it was not favoured with it. Eiheiji has been destroyed several times over the centuries. An example is the Ikko-Ikki revolts, which were a purist-piety movement of ‘single-mindedness’ that aimed to overthrow the feudal system in Japan in the 1500s and 1600s, removing power from the samurai and giving it to the merchant and peasant classes. As a result, the oldest building, the Sanmon (Mountain) Gate, dates to 1749. Other buildings have been built since, with many additions through the 1900s.

Today, Eiheiji Temple looks like someone engaged in zazen. The tallest building sits the highest up the side of the valley, creating the head. The middle and lower buildings represent the body, while those on either side represent the arms and legs. These are all in alignment, which should be achieved when performing zazen.

In the painting below, you enter and leave the temple from the gate in the lower left corner, representing a knee.

Official painting of Eiheiji Temple. It took 4.5 years for the monk to complete this work.

Visiting Eiheiji Temple

Getting to Eiheiji Temple is easy. If you have a car, follow route 364 through the town of the same name. You will need to park in the town (there are a lot of paid car parks available)

If you are coming from Fukui Station by public transport, several buses run throughout the day to and from the temple. You can pay for the bus using IC cards/credit cards or by purchasing a ticket beforehand at the bus window in Fukui Station (where you can also use cash). Alternatively, there is an app called Fukui MaaS. However, it is only available in Japanese (although you can use a translation plugin for your computer’s browser, such as Google Translate for Google Chrome) to get a rough idea.

An adult ticket to Eiheiji costs ¥700. This gives you access to all public areas of the temple, which are clearly marked. You can stay here for as long as you want. You follow a route (also well-marked) which takes you to all parts of the temple. There is a separate route for those with physical disabilities that avoids the stairs and uses elevators where appropriate.