Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-14 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
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Our guide
Eihei-ji is one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen, the largest single religious denomination in Japan; the other is Sōji-ji in Yokohama. Its name means “temple of eternal peace”. It was founded by Eihei Dōgen, who brought Sōtō Zen from China in the thirteenth century, and his ashes and a memorial to him are in the Jōyōden, the Founder's Hall.
It lies about 15 km east of Fukui, and the simplest way there is the Keifuku limited-express Eiheiji Liner, which runs daily from stop 1 at the east exit of Fukui Station to the temple gate in about 30 minutes. Seats cannot be reserved, and a full bus takes no more passengers, so leave some slack. The gates close at 16:30 and you should arrive by 16:00.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Eihei-ji Temple Chokushimon, Eiheiji-cho 2013 — Tomio344456 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Eiheiji Shidoden — G41rn8 (uploader on Commons) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Eiheiji Sansyokaku (Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture) — 小石川人晃 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Eiheiji IMG 20161017 121301 — G41rn8 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Eiheiji Butsuden (Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture) — 小石川人晃 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Eiheiji37nt3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Eiheiji31n4592 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Eiheiji30n4592 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Eiheiji21n4592 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Eiheiji19n4592 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
What this place is
Eihei-ji (永平寺) is one of two main temples of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism, the largest single religious denomination in Japan (by number of temples in a single legal entity). The other is Sōji-ji in Yokohama. Eihei-ji is located about 15 km (9 mi) east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. In English, its name means "temple of eternal peace" (in Japanese, 'ei' means "eternal", 'hei' means "peaceful", and 'ji' means "Buddhist temple"). Its founder was Eihei Dōgen, who brought Sōtō Zen from China to Japan during the 13th century. The ashes of Dōgen and a memorial to him are in the Jōyōden (the Founder's Hall) at Eihei-ji.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-14 · Daihonzan Eiheiji: visiting hours and fees · Keifuku Bus: getting to Eiheiji
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Temple
Getting there by public transport
- From stop 1 at the east exit of Fukui Station, the Keifuku limited-express Eiheiji Liner runs daily to the temple gate in about 30 minutes.
- Seats are first come, first served and cannot be reserved; a full bus takes no more passengers.
- Keifuku buses also run from Awara-Onsen Station (routes 86 and 87) and from Eiheiji-guchi Station (route 88).
Route checked: 2026-09-15 · Daihonzan Eiheiji: visiting hours and fees · Keifuku Bus: getting to Eiheiji · Timetables change — check the operator before you travel.
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