Eihei-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Fukui Prefecture, Japan
Eihei-ji is a Buddhist monastery on a forested mountainside in Fukui Prefecture where monks continue to live and study today. More than seventy wooden buildings are linked by covered walkways, forming a complex among cedar trees and rock formations.
A monk named Dogen founded the complex in 1244 after returning from China, bringing a new meditation practice to Japan. Since then the site has served as headquarters for one of the largest schools of Zen Buddhism in the country.
The name Eihei-ji comes from the Later Han era name Yongping, when Buddhism first reached China, and means "eternal peace". The temple holds the ashes of founder Dōgen and a memorial to him in the Jōyōden, the Founder's Hall. Visitors are treated as religious trainees, and those with Zen experience may join practice after making prior arrangements.
Buses from Fukui Station's east exit and from Eiheiji-guchi Station on the Katsuyama Eiheiji Line terminate at the "Eihei-ji" stop, a short walk from the gate. The town runs three paid car parks, the third unpaved across a bridge over the Eihei-ji River. The main halls are joined by covered corridors, but the route includes stone stairs such as those below the Sanmon.
The complex includes seven main halls that symbolically represent the body of a dragon, mapping the path of spiritual development. Many structures have been rebuilt multiple times since the founding in the 13th century after being destroyed by fires.
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