- Attractions by Region -
Dinosaurs, Zen, and sea-carved drama—Fukui essentials in one bite.
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
A titanium-silver dome packed with 50+ full skeletons and a roaring animatronic T-rex—feel prehistory thump in your chest.
Tojinbo Cliffs
Hexagonal columns plunge into the Japan Sea—nature’s roller coaster viewed from boats and clifftop cafés.
Eiheiji Temple
The Soto Zen head temple since 1244. Monks glide through cedar-scented corridors—real-world mindfulness you can join.
Over 20 m-high prismed cliffs stretch 1 km—one of the world’s great columnar joints. Boats and cafés crown the edge.
Legend and geology collide
Named for a rowdy monk hurled from the cliff, the site still bristles with myth as Miocene andesite cooled into five- and six-sided pillars. A double designation: Place of Scenic Beauty & Natural Monument.
At Iwaba Café on the rim, sip while surf detonates below; sunset drops straight into the horizon. Local NPOs now staff the cliffs and have saved 700+ lives—turning a feared edge into a place of care.
Founded by Dogen. Seven halls in towering cedars; 200 trainees live the rhythm of Zen.
Walk the body of Zen
Linked corridors trace a meditating figure. Days begin 3:30 a.m. and end 9:00 p.m.—cleaning, zazen, porridge, repeat. Visitors can join morning service, sutra copying, or short retreats.
One of the world’s top three dinosaur museums. 50+ full skeletons and hands-on labs power Japan’s dinosaur capital.
Six “Fukui-” dinosaurs call this home
Spiral through “World of Dinosaurs,” “Earth Sciences,” and “History of Life.” Try fossil prep or the summer field site tour—swing a real hammer at real rock.
A “sacred island” off Tojinbo. Cross the vermilion bridge into dim laurel forests and black basalt.
Sea caves, myth, and tide pools
Dark evergreen canopies and textbook jointing sculpt a moody realm. At low tide, mirror-still pools and sea glass make photographers kneel; after dusk it’s pitch black—bring a light.
One of Japan’s largest rock-fill dams. Autumn blazes; spring cherry weeps into glassy water.
Engineering and dragon lore
A 10-million-m³ rock wall tames nine-headed dragon legends. Ride 33 km of shore road by bike; in fall, the “Momiji Marathon” rollercoasters through color.
Japan’s “Pompeii”: a Sengoku town sealed by earth with streets, homes, and temples intact.
Archaeology meets living city
Excavations uncovered refined imports and games—Kyoto culture went provincial glam. A new museum displays 800 artifacts and a full-scale Asakura residence.
Sea water, brackish, and fresh—five hues of lagoon. A Ramsar wetland with time-recording mud.
A living palette and Earth’s calendar
Water chemistry paints the surfaces; beneath, Lake Suigetsu’s varves—70,000 years of annual layers—anchor carbon dating standards.
360° terraces over lakes and sea. Footbaths, hammocks, and a rose garden set the vibe.
Ring the bell, strike a pose
Five themed decks, loaner rainbow umbrellas, and a “Lovers’ bell” deliver instant Instagram joy.
Look-touch-play. Walk glass roofs over coral tanks; swim with fish in summer.
Five senses on the shore
Pet sharks and octopus, feed seals and turtles; penguins waddle past at arm’s length. A glass “sea surface” ceiling makes you float without getting wet.
60 km of arches and caves—a natural rock museum. Winter means narcissus and Echizen crab.
Kochomon Arch & the “black tag” crab
Old road tunnels the sea through limestone; slopes bloom with millions of narcissus. Top-grade male snow crab bears a coveted black tag.
~60 shops in a mega seafood arcade. Auction shouts stoke your appetite.
Port-to-plate in minutes
Build a DIY kaisen-don with sashimi bought downstairs; or grill shellfish on the spot. Winter turns yellow-tag crab season into a festival.
Guardian of the Hokuriku road. An 11 m vermilion wooden torii and “long-life spring.”
Sea, moon, and longevity
A millennium of cedars line the path; the sacred spring draws bottle-carrying visitors. Poet Basho praised its moonlit bay.
Moss-carpeted ruins of a medieval mountain city—white-robed pilgrims once thronged these paths.
12 ha of living green velvet
After war razed the complex, moss slowly reclaimed stone lanes. Excavations continue; rainy days make the carpet glow.
“Waikiki of Hokuriku”—white quartz sand and cobalt water, glowing at sunset.
Glittering grains
Rounded quartz massages bare feet; 15 m visibility makes easy snorkeling. SUP and clear kayaks available in summer.
A summer-only uninhabited island with 20 m clarity. Access by 10-minute boat (Jul–Aug).
Powder white, emerald sea
Minimal facilities: bring little, take all trash out. Classic shots: wood parasols on white sands; the pier with sea-torii.
Hokuriku’s only original keep. Jade-tinted stone tiles and a 67° staircase guard the plain.
Stone tiles, steep stairs, silent legend
Rain turns schist tiles green; a human sacrifice legend lingers. Inside, a near-ladder climb rewards with sweeping views.
A vine-woven suspension bridge swaying over a gorge—Fukui’s mini adventure.
Hands shaking, hearts racing
Gaps reveal the torrent below; local youth re-lace vines every three years. Folklore says couples who cross together stay bound.
“Castle in the Sky” on misty mornings—best in late autumn to winter at dawn.
Sea of clouds & grid town
A Kyoto-style grid town sits below; climb neighboring Inuyama lookout for the iconic floating keep.
One of Japan’s 100 famous waters—~8°C even in midsummer, a natural fridge.
Mint-blue flow
Crystal water filters through strata for decades; rare red algae give hints of color. Bring bottles to take the soft water home.
A training Soto temple that shelters 100+ rescue cats—Zen with purrs.
Feline SDGs
Monks clean litter boxes as practice; adoptions exceed 400. Charms and ema are cat-themed to the core.
“Back parlor of Kansai.” Dozens of private springs—every inn’s water tastes different.
Grid town & geisha nights
Rebuilt after a 1956 fire, the town’s grid lanes hide footbaths, tasting spouts, and echoes of shamisen after dark.
Former daimyo villa. Sit at floor level and watch a water mirror change by the minute.
Architecture that sails
A sukiya wing juts over the pond so water flows beneath; night lights double the moon on still evenings.
50,000 azaleas paint the slopes; the zoo leads Japan in red panda breeding.
Spring pink, autumn mirroring
A daimyo park reborn—night lights float flower shadows; in fall, ponds reflect crimson canopies.
A 17 m seated giant funded by a local magnate—Showa-era ambition in bronze.
Tower views & dragon wall
Take the five-story pagoda elevator for mountain panoramas; the vivid Nine-Dragon Wall channels Beijing opulence.
Studios for glass, pottery, bamboo set in 20 ha of woods—make, then admire.
Art treasure hunt
Wander trails to stumble on mirrored corridors or steel spheres; blow glass at sunset and toast your cup’s glow.
700 years of Echizen blades. Watch forging at zero distance; make your own knife.
Fire, steel, and craft
Ten smithies share one open factory. Mirror galleries turn knives into floating art; on-site custom handles and engraving available.
600,000 m² of lawn plus Japan-scale waterpark. Record slides and a dinosaur zone.
Slide into the sky
Tube tangles, pirate ships, and a new dinosaur forest with 60 moving dinos—then camp on the grass by a Japan Sea sunset.
A reconstructed Heian-style garden where the Genji author spent her youth.
Courtiers reborn
Stroll pond, stream, and fishing pavilion—on event days, gagaku music drifts like it’s the 11th century again.
Built by Yuki Hideyasu. Moats and schist walls embrace the modern prefectural offices.
Well of fortune
The nearby “Fuku-no-i” well gives Fukui its name; evening lights reflect off stone for a neo-classic skyline.