Trip (Inside the Fukui city) [Sep.8-9]

Getting on a bus from Toujinbou, I came to JR Ashihara Onsen station, then I came back to Fukui station by a local train a little after 17 o'clock. Thinking of something interesting, I went through the ticket gate, and found leaflets 'JR-de iku Machi-meguri'. These are maps around some JR stations, and indicate some walk routes for tourists. The Fukui station version contains two courses (3 hours for typical tourists):
* in memory of 1500th anniversary of the succession to the throne of Keitai daiou; a course to places remembered in connection with him
* a course to feel the history of the Fukui castle town
I decided to take the second one.

After departing from Fukui station, soon we can see the inner moat of Fukui castle. Now the place where Fukui castle was is Fukui prefectural office.



Walking along the moat, go across a street, then you can find an old house called 'Youkoukan-teien'. The 3rd master of the Fukui Clan, Tadamasa, got this place, the 7th master, Yoshinori, built this garden. The original house was destroyed by the air attack in the World War II, and the present one is reconstructed in 1993.



You can enter the building after taking off your shoes at the entrance. In the building, there are many things like Wakidana-no Raden-zaiku in Otsuki-mi-no ma (a side shelf decorated by mother-of-perl work in the moon viewing room),



Keimei-no Itado in Kusari-no ma (hen's cry on a board door in the chain room),



and so on.

I entered a little before the closing time (around 18 o'clock), so there were nobody except me, and I could freely walk around (^_^)

Next to the Youkoukan-teien, there is 'Kyoudo Rekishi Hakubutsukan', a museum for the local history of Fukui. I did not know that there are many ancient remains around here in Fukui... There is 'Toneri-mon Ikou-no Fukugen', a restoration of the ruin of Toneri gate.



These two places (Youkoukan-teien and the museum) open between 9:00 and 19:00. Most public museums in the country regions close before 17:00, I think. So I was very astonished! Due to this I could enter and see many things (^_^)

One more good information.
The leaflet I took at the station is very powerful! This contains some coupons and we can enter these two places with a discount price for parties. You can get the leaflet freely, so you should take one!

When I went out of the museum, it had been already dark. So I checked in the hotel I reserved and rest.

Here I cannot upload more than 5 pictures in an article. More detailed explanations can be found here. (Sorry, but Japanese only.)

The trip will continue a little more!

The Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* JR-de iku Machi-meguri: JRで行く街めぐり
* Keitai daiou : 継体大王
* moat : 内堀
* prefectural office : 県庁
* Youkoukan-teien : 養浩館庭園
* Fukui Clan : 福井藩
* Tadamasa : 忠昌
* Yoshinori : 吉品
* Wakidana-no Raden-zaiku : 脇棚の螺鈿細工
* Otsuki-mi-no ma : 御月見ノ間
* Keimei-no Itado : 鶏鳴ノ板戸
* Kusari-no ma : 鎖ノ御間
* Kyoudo Rekishi Hakubutsukan : 郷土歴史博物館
* Tonerimon Ikou-no Fukugen : 舎人門遺構の復原

I have to write down, before I forget the details... (^_^;;;

Taking a bus for about two hours from the Eihei-ji temple, we can reach Toujinbou. This time I bought a discount ticket "Toujinbou Eihei-ji temple 2 days' free ticket". In Japan most free tickets are discount ones; not free (^_^;;; It cost 2000 yen for an adult. Anyway we can ride any local buses running at
Fukui station <=> Eihei-ji temple <=> JR Ashihara Onsen station <=> Toujinbou
for two days (between 9:00 and 17:00). And some coupon for some stores etc. are also included. I bought this and saved some money, but I had to be on trains and buses for most part of this day (^_^;;;

After arriving at Toujinbou, I hurried to the coast, not beach but cliff!







The waves are like this:
Movie 1

Cabin cruisers are running between here and Ojima, small island located at the cape (third picture).



But this time was just after a strong Typhoon, and the cruisers departed from a place more than 1 km away, so I gave up to ride.

Near the cruiser stop (?) which was not used this day:
Movie 2

There is a tower here, 'Toujinbou tower'.



But I also gave it up, because I felt enough after I saw the cliff and the sea.

FYI: The coupon of the discount bus ticket contains those for cabin cruisers and tower entrance.

Here I cannot upload more than 5 pictures in an article. More detailed explanations can be found here. (Sorry, but Japanese only.)

The trip will continue!

The Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* Toujinbou : 東尋坊
* free ticket : フリー乗車券
* Ashihara Onsen station : 芦原温泉駅
* coupon : 優待券
* Ojima : 雄島
* cabin cruisers : 遊覧船
* Typhoon : 台風
* tower : タワー

Trip (Eihei-ji temple)

Last weekend I went on a trip to consume 'Seisyun 18 kippu' or a discount ticket with which we can take local JR (Japan Railway) trains within a day. They are sold as a pack of 5 tickets, and I have already used three tickets before this trip.

Anyway I got on the first train on Sep. 8 (Sat.) and arrived at Fukui terminal. Fukui is a prefecture in Japan, and it locates at the middle of Honshu, the largest island in Japan, and faces to the sea of Japan. Fukui is also the name of a captital city in Fukui prefecture.

On the way the train I took ran about 7 minutes behind the schedule, because the limited express which ran the same line was delayed. I scheduled to take a bus which departs at Fukui station after about 10 minutes of the train's scheduled arrival time. But fortunately I could take the bus! Probably the bus bus-driver adjusted the time schedule for the passengers from the train! Thank you! We can reach to the front of Eihei-ji temple after about 30 minutes' ride from Fukui station.

By the way, do you know Eihei-ji temple? I did not know about it before this trip (^_^;;;

Dougen-zenji, who was born on 1200, went to China, and studied the real Buddhism from Nyojyou-zenji at Tendou-zan mountain. After that he came back to Japan and make this Eihei-ji temple. Now this is the most important place for Soutou-syu, a kind of Buddhism. And there are about 200 monks are doing training.

At the entrance we have to take off the shoes, and take them while we go around in the temple. There is a guide course, but we can go and see everywhere freely except for some points. We cannot go in the courtyards, cannot ring bells and drums, etc. We can take pictures everywhere except for the monks. In a room we cannot use flashlight.

The central part of Eihei-ji consists of seven halls called 'Shitidou-garan', and we can mainly see these halls. They are Sanmon (main gate), Butsuden (the central idol is placed), Soudou (the main hall for monks), Daikuin (kitchen), Tousu (rest room), and Yokushitsu (bath room). The shape of the positions of these seven halls and the gallery seems to be a person who performs zazen or meditation in Zen Buddhism, which is the main training in Soutousyu.

[Schematic panoramic view of Eihei-ji temple]


[Soudou]


[Houon-tou from outside the temple]


[Waterfall of Reirou]


While I waited for the next bus, I took a lunch near the bus terminal. Eihei-ji soba is a famous meal around this place!

[Eihei-ji soba]


Here I cannot upload more than 5 pictures in an article. More detailed explanations can be found here. (Sorry, but Japanese only.)

The trip will continue!

The Japanese version of this article is here!

Japanese character(s) (kanji)
* Eihei-ji : 永平寺
* Seisyun 18 kippu : 青春１８きっぷ
* Fukui : 福井
* Honshu : 本州
* Dougen-zenji : 道元禅師
* Nyojyou-zenji : 如浄禅師
* Tendou-zan : 天童山
* Soutou-syu : 曹洞宗
* Shitidou-garan : 七堂伽藍
* Sanmon : 山門
* Butsuden : 仏殿
* Soudou : 僧堂
* Daikuin : 大庫院
* Tousu : 東司
* Yokushitsu : 浴室
* zazen : 坐禅
* Houon-tou : 報恩塔
* Reirou : 玲瓏
* soba : そば, ソバ, 蕎麦