Fukui: Japan’s Spiritual Heart
Introduction
Closely guarded by the Sea of Japan, Lake Biwako, and the Hakusan Mountain Range, Fukui holds uncountable secrets and adventures for those willing to venture into Japan’s spiritual heart.
Here, more than fifteen hundred years of cultural and artistic heritage have been etched into the stony steps of craftsmens’ studios and mystic shrines across the prefecture.
Access
Fukui lies within an hour’s train-ride of Kyoto. For those eager to avoid the crowds of the Golden Route, this proximity makes Fukui ideal as an easy escape into the Japanese countryside.
On the other hand, Fukui is also just under three hours’ ride via the bullet train from Tokyo. With no transfers or line changes along the way, you can sit back and relax all the way to Fukui.
Regional Cuisine
Being right on the coast of the Sea of Japan, Fukui offers its visitors a fantastic array of seafood. Particularly famous among its delicious cuisine is the Echizen-gani snow crab. Every year, between November and March, tens of thousands of snow crabs molt in the waters right off Fukui’s coast. This wintertime delicacy attracts visitors from all corners of Japan and beyond.
Special Locations
Fukui is home to several memorable locations, each with its own story to tell. Eiheiji Temple’s tree-line pathways hold centuries of Buddhist prayers, while Tojinbo’s rocky cliffs have endured the might of the Sea of Japan for untold millenia. Each stop throughout this coastal prefecture is sure to be better than the last.