Fukui
Japan’s most austere Zen monastery, a coastline of sheer volcanic columns where the sea crashes 25 metres below, and the finest snow crab in all Japan — Fukui is Japan at its most elemental.
曹洞宗の大本山・永平寺の静寂、東尋坊の断崖、越前かに——福井は日本の禅の心と海の幸が最も純粋な形で残る県です。
Fukui Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan on Japan’s remote Hokuriku coast. Eiheiji — the head temple of Soto Zen Buddhism since 1244 — is a functioning mountain monastery where 200 monks study in ancient cedar halls. The Tojinbo sea cliffs, formed by 25-million-year-old hexagonal columnar basalt, plunge 25 metres into crashing waves. Fukui is Japan’s number-one prefecture for happiness surveys two years running, and its Echizen crab (snow crab) fetches the highest auction prices in Japan.
道元禅師が開いた曹洞宗大本山・永平寺は200人の修行僧が今も修行する生きた禅寺。東尋坊の玄武岩の断崖、越前かに、恐竜の産地としても有名な福井は、日本有数の「幸福度ランキング1位」の県。
Recommended Omiyage
おすすめおみやげ 5選
Echizen Crab
Japan’s most premium snow crab (zuwaigani) — auctioned at record prices in Fukui’s ports
日本一の値がつく越前かに（雄ズワイガニ）。11月〜3月が旬の幻の高級食材。
Mizuyokan
Chilled azuki jelly eaten in winter — Fukui’s unique cold-weather dessert tradition
他県では夏に食べる水ようかんを冬に食べる、福井独自のユニークな食文化。
Echizen Lacquerware
Japan’s largest lacquerware production centre — refined, durable and centuries old
全国一の生産量を誇る越前漆器。1500年の歴史を持つ伝統工芸品。
Echizen Washi
Japan’s oldest handmade paper tradition (1,500 years) — sheets used in official documents and art
1,500年の歴史を持つ手漉き和紙。公文書や美術品にも使われる逸品。
Karashi Mentaiko
Spicy marinated pollock roe — Fukui’s Sea of Japan coast produces some of Japan’s finest
日本海の新鮮なスケトウダラを使った辛子明太子。
Must-Visit Spots
おすすめスポット 5選
Eiheiji Temple
Functioning Soto Zen head temple in ancient cedar forest — 200 monks in silent training since 1244
道元禅師が1244年に開いた曹洞宗大本山。今も200人の僧が修行する生きた禅の聖地。
Tojinbo
25-metre hexagonal basalt sea cliffs — one of Japan’s three great scenic spots
25mの断崖が約1kmにわたって続く玄武岩の柱状節理。遊覧船で海から見るのも迫力満点。
Ichijodani Ruins
Remarkably complete ruins of a 16th-century castle town — Japan’s Pompeii
16世紀の城下町が完全な形で埋没保存された「日本のポンペイ」。国特別史跡。
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
One of the world’s top three dinosaur museums — Fukui has Japan’s most prolific fossil sites
世界3大恐竜博物館のひとつ。福井は日本で最も多くの恐竜化石が発掘されている県。
Mihama & Wakasa Bay
Emerald-blue coastal lagoons and beaches of the Wakasa Bay — hidden gem of the Sea of Japan
若狭湾の透き通った海と三方五湖のコバルトブルー。関西から近い穴場の海水浴地。
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Echizen crab season?
November 6 to March 20. Only male zuwaigani (snow crab) is called Echizen crab and carries the yellow tag. The Fukui fishing port of Tsuruga and Echizen hold early-morning crab auctions.
11月6日〜3月20日が解禁期間。雄のズワイガニのみ越前がにと呼ばれ、黄色のタグが目印。敦賀・越前港で早朝の競りが行われます。
Can visitors attend Eiheiji’s morning ceremony?
The public morning ceremony (朝課) at 5:30 am is open to visitors who have stayed overnight as a temple lodger (sanrosha). Day visitors can observe monks’ activities from designated walkways.
5:30の朝課は宿泊者（参籠）のみ参加可能。日帰り参拝者も僧の修行の様子を廊下から見学できます。
Is the Hokuriku Shinkansen now open to Fukui?
Yes — the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga opened in March 2024. Fukui is now 2 hours 20 minutes from Tokyo and about 1 hour from Osaka by limited express via Kanazawa.
2024年3月に北陸新幹線が金沢〜敦賀間延伸開業。東京から約2時間20分、大阪からは金沢経由で特急利用で約1時間に。
Travel Tip
Combine Eiheiji Temple (30 min from Fukui by bus) with a morning and evening at Tojinbo (45 min by bus) for a full Fukui day. The evening light on the basalt cliffs is dramatic — stay until sunset.
