Fukui is one of Japan’s best-kept secrets — a quiet, deeply traditional prefecture on the Japan Sea coast with an outsized cultural significance. It’s home to the birthplace of Zen Buddhism in Japan, a world-class dinosaur museum, stunning coastal scenery, and the most prized snow crab in the country.
Top Attractions
1. Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
One of the world’s top three dinosaur museums, this spectacular facility in rural Fukui houses an extraordinary collection of real fossils — many excavated right in Fukui, which has yielded more dinosaur species than anywhere else in Japan.
2. Eiheiji Temple
Founded in 1244 by Dogen Zenji, Eiheiji is the headquarters of Soto Zen Buddhism — one of Japan’s most important temples. Set deep in a cedar forest, its atmospheric corridors, meditation halls, and resident monks create a profoundly moving experience.
3. Tojinbo Cliffs
Dramatic basalt columns rising from the Japan Sea — one of Japan’s most spectacular coastal landscapes. The hexagonal rock formations stretch for over a kilometer, battered by waves and wind.
Food & Drink
Fukui’s Echizen snow crab (Zuwaigani) is considered Japan’s finest — so prized it has its own certification tag. Also famous: Echizen soba (buckwheat noodles with grated radish) and sauce katsu don (pork cutlet in Worcestershire sauce).
Getting There
From Osaka, limited express trains reach Fukui in about 1.5 hours. The Hokuriku Shinkansen will connect Fukui to Tokyo by 2024.
