If you want to explore history and spirituality somewhere away from Japan’s major centres, such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, this one-day Fukui itinerary is for you!

Getting to/from Fukui

From Tokyo

If you are coming from Tokyo, getting to Fukui has become much easier since JR East and JR Central extended the Shinkansen to Fukui in March 2024. Simply get on the Hokuriku Shinkansen at JR Tokyo Station. The journey to JR Fukui Station will take you just under 3 hours and costs just over ¥20,000 one-way per person (approximately $134 at the time of writing. Please click this link for the current conversion).

From Osaka or Kyoto

Suppose you are coming from Osaka or Kyoto. In that case, you can get the Thunderbird Limited Express train, which starts at Osaka Station, stopping at Shin-Osaka and Kyoto Stations and finally at Tsuruga Station. Here is the cost breakdown:

Starting Station	Cost to End Station: Tsuruga Station
Osaka Station	¥4,500 (click here for conversion)
Shin-Osaka Station	¥4,500 (click here for conversion)
Kyoto Station	¥3,220 (click here for conversion)

After getting to Tsuruga, you can take a rapid train, the “Hapi Line Fukui” for ¥1,140, which takes 40 minutes, or the Hokuriku Shinkansen for ¥3,060, which takes 16 minutes.

The morning: Eiheiji Temple

From Fukui Station, there is a direct coach bus that goes to the temple once per hour during the temple’s opening hours. It takes approximately 30 minutes (depending on traffic) and costs ¥750.

Eiheiji Temple is one of the co-heads of the Soto Zen Sect of Buddhism and the founding place of Zazen, or “seated meditation” in Japan. The original idea was brought over from China and further refined in this temple, which you can experience yourself. The temple is also a teaching temple, so many Soto Sect Buddhist monks train here.

You can read more information about the temple and my thoughts on it here:

Lunch in Eiheiji

After visiting Eiheiji Temple, the surrounding town is a good place to get lunch. Several restaurants, most of which specialise in the region’s speciality food: oroshi soba and daruma pudding.

Oroshi soba, a type of soba where a lot of grated daikon radish is added on top, was and still is one of the main staples of the Buddhist monks, who are not allowed to eat meat. As a result, most restaurants in Eiheiji serve oroshi soba – and it is often one of the cheapest things on the menu due to its simplicity.

Follow up this hearty lunch with a soft, soothing dessert in the form of a Daruma pudding. Eiheiji Daruma Pudding is marketed as “the pudding even monks with the strictest training can’t resist” – and a simple taste test can confirm that this is not just a marketing gimmick. In addition to plain, there are 13 seasonal flavours – so each visit will be different.

You can read more about oroshi soba and Eiheiji Daruma Pudding here:

The Afternoon: Asakura Clan Ruins in Ichijodani

From Eiheiji Temple, there is a direct coach that goes to the clan ruins. This bus is more limited than the Eiheiji Bus Liner, so check the schedule for the specific day you want to go.

Known as the Pompeii of Japan, Ichijodani was once the third-largest settlement in Japan after Kyoto and Osaka. It had this distinction for nearly 100 years before it was destroyed during the Japanese Period of Warring States by the man who would go on to unify Japan. Here, you can experience the rise and fall of the once powerful Asakura Clan, including the many houses, mansions, and some of the oldest gardens in Japan.

Read more about it here:

Swapping the morning and afternoon

I put Eiheiji Temple in the morning and the ruins in the afternoon for a couple of reasons. The first is the opening times of each. The temple is only open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., while the ruins are open 24 hours (although the restored part and museum are only open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

The second is that there are a lot more food options in Eiheiji than at the ruins. There are restaurants and food stalls around the temple, whereas the ruins are off on their own, and you would have to go to a nearby town to have a meal.

The third is that more buses travel along the Fukui->Eiheiji->Asakura Clan Ruins->Fukui route than the other way around, and direct buses are more common in the early afternoon, meaning that it is more convenient to start at Eiheiji than at the ruins.

The final one is that buses run between Fukui and Eiheiji earlier in the morning; in contrast, they also stop earlier, so it will be easier to get back to Fukui Station from the ruins than from the temple.

However, with some additional planning, it is possible to flip the activities and do the temple in the afternoon. To make it work, you will need to look at the bus schedules for each and check the direct bus timings. You can find more information about the buses here.

Staying in Fukui

It is possible to do this itinerary in one day, including travelling from Osaka, Tokyo, or Kyoto and returning there to sleep at night. However, it can be a long day with the potential of 3 hours of travelling on either side. Alternatively, you can stay in Fukui. While the city is not as used to tourists, there are some hotels available—most of which are designed to cater to Japanese business people.

Based on personal experience, I would recommend Dormy Inn Premium in Fukui. It was an excellent stay – no more expensive than other Dormy Inn branches or equivalent Japanese business hotels. As a bonus, you get a free half-bowl of soba every day in the evening before bed, and an onsen is included! Read the full review here:

Thanks for reading! Want to do some more exploring? Have a look at the travel map:

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