In 1294, Nichizo, one of the followers of the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, founded the temple after many trials and tribulations. The temple as it is today was built and expanded under the reign of the Maeda Toshiie, the eventual first daimyo of Kaga (Kanazawa), Noto and Ecchu (Toyama). It is said that Maeda Toshiie built up this temple as one that could be quickly converted into a fortress, with castle-like gates and stone walls that resemble castles of the time. The third daimyo of Kaga built the stunning pagoda in 1618 and that is what you can see even today. The temple is virtually unchanged for 400 years and you can explore it without the huge crowds of the big cities.
The stoic beauty of centuries old buildings in a Zen Buddhist temple in the middle of the Japanese countryside may seem like it could be difficult to get to but it only requires one transfer. From Kanazawa Station ride the train to Hakui Station, which takes 30 minutes (limited express train) or an hour (regular train). After arriving at Hakui Station, hop on a local bus, although they look like highway buses, and you'll be there in another 30 minutes! The bus ride has some great views of the ocean, beach, rice fields and architecture of the Noto peninsula.
Even though it is possible to get here on your own, having a guide walk with you explaining the history of the area can be enlightening. Visit and relax at Chirihama Beach until lunch and in the afternoon visit Myojoji Temple and Cosmo Isle, a space museum with original space craft that were used in actual space missions. Find more information about the tour below!
If you'd like to dive even deeper into Zen, check out our tour to Eiheiji Temple - one of the two head temples for Soto Zen Buddhism in Japan. This tour, which runs all year round, takes you to Fukui City, one of Japan's most overlooked areas. From there, we'll head to another Zen temple before making our way to Eiheiji in the mountains.
EIHEIJI & FUKUI CITY FROM KANAZAWA / all year round
As one of the head temples of the world-famous Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist sect, Eiheiji Temple is a place where you can feel the mystery and beauty of traditional architecture hidden in a natural paradise. On this tour you can choose start from either Kanazawa Station or Fukui Station. After grouping up at Fukui Station, we will take a tour of the city in the morning, seeing the castle walls, the "rainbow" shrine, and views of the city from the Atagozaka Slope. We will eat in the city before heading out on a direct bus to Eiheiji Temple. The ride into the mountains is about 30 minutes and we will arrive near the temple grounds. This area has had groupings of temples for over 500 years and at its peak had thousands of monks living in the area. We will walk through the temple and learn about the history as we climb up deeper into the temple. There are many excellent photo spots to discover, too. There are so many interesting angles that catch the intertwining of nature and architecture all over the complex. Try to find the one that touches you the most!
