Overview
Eihei-ji is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple in Eiheiji, Yoshida District, Fukui Prefecture, and -- together with Soji-ji in Yokohama -- one of the two head temples (daihonzan) of the Soto school. Its mountain name is Kichijozan, its principal images are the three-world Buddhas Shakyamuni, Maitreya (Miroku) and Amida, and tradition holds that it was founded by the priest Dogen with Hatano Yoshishige as its founding patron.
Highlights
- ●Its standing as one of Soto Zen's two head temples, alongside Soji-ji
- ●Its founding history tied to the priest Dogen and patron Hatano Yoshishige
- ●Temple buildings designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan
- ●Distinct imagery in each hall, from the Four Heavenly Kings at the gate to Kannon and paired white lions in the Dharma hall
History
Eihei-ji dates its founding to 1244 and has served ever since as one of the central training centers of Soto Zen. The temple has long enjoyed the devotion of the Echizen Matsudaira clan, the lords of Fukui domain, and as a result many of its parishioner families trace back to samurai households connected to the Echizen Matsudaira. Several of its buildings are designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and the temple has also been named one of the "100 Landscapes of Heisei."
Access
The temple sits in the mountains of Eiheiji town east of Fukui city, where it still functions as an active training monastery with dedicated monks' halls, home to resident monks and nuns pursuing Zen practice. Since transport options and road conditions can change, visitors should check current access information before setting out.
Best season
Set among the mountains, Eihei-ji shows a different character with each season and draws visitors throughout the year. All guests are received in a manner akin to religious trainees, so simply walking its quiet grounds is itself part of the experience.
Map
36.0566, 136.3569 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Pass through the Sanmon gate, greeted by the Four Heavenly Kings
- 2Pay respects to the three-world Buddhas in the Buddha hall
- 3Take in the Kannon image and white lion motifs in the Hatto
- 4Walk the grounds quietly, sensing the atmosphere of an active training monastery with its dedicated monks' halls
Did you know?
💡 The temple's crest is the Kuga rindou (bellflower) design, also known as the Kuga rindou-mon or Kuga rindou-guruma-mon. Each hall houses its own distinct imagery: the Sanmon gate is guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings, the Buddha hall's altar holds three Buddha statues representing past, present and future, the Hatto (Dharma hall) displays the compassionate bodhisattva Kannon flanked by a pair of white lions, the bathhouse enshrines the figure Baddabara, and the mountain corridor enshrines Ucchusma -- a different guardian or deity for nearly every building.
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