Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [238]
Ten minutes’ walk west of the station, Hotel Riverge Akebono (; 22-1000, 0120-291-489; fax 22-8023; s/tw from ¥7161/12,705; ) is on the bank of the Asuwa-gawa, which is very dramatic at cherry-blossom time. Staff is genteel, and conventional rooms have private facilities and LAN cable access, plus top-floor common baths with a view. From the station, walk down Chūō-dōri, which is lined with a modern glass arcade; turn left after Ace Inn.
Miyoshiya (; 23-3448; mains ¥500-1400; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) is a much-loved shop serving a varied menu but known for Fukui-ken’s most famous dish, oroshi soba (soba noodles topped with grated daikon and shaved bonito flakes; ¥500). It’s about five minutes’ walk from Fukui Station down Chūō-dōri, behind Fukui Bank (), at the corner of Phoenix-dōri.
The simple corner shop Yōroppa-ken (; 26-4681; mains ¥850-1350; lunch & dinner Wed-Mon) creates another beloved Fukui speciality, sōsu katsu-don (breaded, fried pork cutlet dipped in a Worcestershire-based sauce, over rice; ¥850), which is surprisingly light. Add ¥200 for a set with salad and miso soup. It’s on the same side of the street as Miyoshiya, about 200m further from the station.
The ingenious izakaya Ori-Ori-ya (; 27-4004; skewers ¥100-300, dishes ¥380-980; dinner) lets you select your own ingredients and grill them yourself at the table. It’s near Hotel Riverge Akebono.
JR trains connect Fukui with Kanazawa (tokkyū, ¥2940, 50 minutes; futsū, ¥1280, 1½ hours), Tsuruga (tokkyū, ¥2610, 35 minutes; futsū, ¥950, 55 minutes), Kyoto (¥4810, 1½ hours) and Osaka (¥5870, 1¾ hours).
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EIHEI-JI
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In 1244 the great Zen master Dōgen (1200–53), founder of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism, established Eihei-ji in a forest near Fukui. Today it’s one of Sōtō’s two head temples, one of the world’s most influential Zen centres and a palpably spiritual place amid mountains, mosses and ancient cedars. Serious students of Zen should consider a retreat here – there are commonly some 150 priests and disciples in residence – but all are welcome to visit.
The temple (63-3102; adult/child ¥500/200; 9am-5pm) receives huge numbers of visitors as sightseers or for rigorous Zen training. Among the approximately 70 buildings, the standard circuit concentrates on seven major ones: San-mon (main gate), Butsuden (Buddha Hall), Hattō (Dharma Hall), Sō-dō (Priests’ Hall), plus the daikuin (kitchen), yokushitsu (bath) and, yes, tōsu (lavatory). You walk among the buildings on wooden walkways in your stockinged feet (pretty chilly in cold weather). The Shōbōkaku exhibits many Eihei-ji treasures.
The temple is often closed for periods varying from a week to 10 days for religious observance. Before setting out, be sure to check www.sotozen-net.or.jp/kokusai/list/eiheiji.htm or with tourist offices.
You can attend the temple’s four-day, three-night sanzen program (religious trainee program; 63-3640; fax 63-3631; www.sotozen-net.or.jp/kokusai/list/eiheiji.htm; fee ¥12,000), which follows the monks’ training schedule, complete with 3.50am prayers, cleaning, zazen and ritual meals in which not a grain of rice may be left behind. Japanese ability is not necessary, but it helps to be able to sit in the half-lotus position. Everyone we’ve spoken to who has completed this course agreea it is a remarkable experience. Book at least one month in advance. A single night’s stay, sanrō, is also possible for ¥8000 (with two meals). Day visitors can eat a lunch of shōjin-ryōri (¥3000) by reservation.
To get to Eihei-ji from Fukui, take the Keifuku bus (¥720, 35 minutes, at least three daily) from stop 5, a couple of blocks from Fukui; buses (¥720, 35 minutes) depart from the east exit of Fukui Station. See opposite for the Free Pass that also