Daihonzan Eihei-ji temple is said to be Japan’s highest Zen training monastery. It was founded as the headquarters of Zen Buddhism in 1244 in the Kamakura period by the priest Dogen. Over a hundred monks from across the country enter the mountains for training annually. It continues to be used as a training monastery and the monks practice from morning to night, which is why it is prohibited to record the monks. You must always be careful not to touch any of the Buddhist relics on the premises.

Entrance to the Eihei-ji temple grounds.

The temple is surrounded by Japanese cedar, some as old as 700 years, and is also chosen as one of the hundred beautiful historical sites of Japan. On a rainy day, the moss soaks in the water which draws out its beauty.

The entrance to Eihei-ji and a place to pay for admission before entering.

The building inside the temple is generally known as garan, and it also contains the meaning of a pure place for monks to train.

Zazen is central to Eihei-ji’s training, however, it doesn’t consist solely of zazen. It is just as important to develop the everyday lifestyles to fit with the zazen mentality. It is for this reason that work such as cleaning is considered to be the movement of Zen.

As the temple is built on top of a mountain, there are many stairs.

There are seven monastery buildings called shichido garan and all are necessary for daily training. The seven buildings refer to the mountain gate, sanctum, meditation hall, priest’s quarters, toilets, bathrooms, and preaching hall. The meditation hall, toilets and bathrooms are the three places where silence must be kept.

Below is the mountain gate built of wood without using a single nail.

The meditation building is the main place for their training and where they eat, sleep and meditate.

From the outside it looks as though there are two levels but in fact there is only one – the sanctum. The sanctum is the central building and this is where they worship the Buddhist relics.

This building is used for preaching, situated on the highest ground. There are 420 tatami mat spaces and where morning prayers or important sermons take place.

In winter, the grounds are covered in deep snow. It is possible to enjoy each season, from the green leaves to the changing of the leaves, as well as the snow.

Kuin is a room similar to a kitchen and there is a large pestle outside the entrance. People believe that if a woman strokes it three times then their cooking will improve.

It is possible to see monks and gain an understanding of their training environment while walking around Eihei-ji temple, not something you can usually experience at temples in Kyoto or Kamakura. This may be why Eihei-ji is so treasured.

■Eihei-ji
Hours : 8am-5:30pm in the summer, 8am-5pm in the winter
Holidays : None
Admission : General public, high school students – 500yen, junior high school students, elementary school students – 200yen *First three days of the New Year are free
Directions : Exit Eihei-ji-guchi Station on the Echizen Katsuyama-Eiheiji Line, 15 minutes by Keifuku Bus towards Eihei-ji. 5 minute walk from the last stop.
Address : 5-15 Shihi, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui
Tel : 0776-63-3102