Echizen Great Buddha

What to know

Daishizan Seidaiji Temple (大師山清大寺) in Katsuyama City, located near the Dinosaur Museum and Heisenji Hakusan Shrine, is a temple of immense proportions. It houses Japan's largest indoor Buddha statue, the country's tallest five-story pagoda, and a vast main hall. Modeled after the famous Todaiji Temple in Nara, it was built in the 1980s by the owner of a local taxi company, but on an even grander scale and using ferro-concrete instead of wood.

The surreal experience begins with a walk along the temple approach lined with shops. After entering the paid area, visitors follow a broad, gently sloping path past two temple gates toward the enormous main hall.

Inside the main hall stands the 17-meter-tall bronze Echizen Great Buddha (越前大仏, Echizen Daibutsu), said to be the largest Buddha statue in Japan housed under a roof. Named after Echizen Province, the old name of Fukui Prefecture, its design is inspired by the seated Buddha carving at the Longmen Grottoes in China. Flanked by four standing Bodhisattva statues, the walls behind and to the sides are lined with over a thousand smaller stone statues, enhancing the sense of scale and atmosphere.

Another highlight is the five-story pagoda, which at 75 meters is the tallest of its kind in Japan. Visitors can take an elevator to the top for an impressive panoramic view of the temple grounds and surrounding landscape. Additionally, there is a reproduced Wall of Nine Dragons from China and a small strolling garden with a pond.

Due to infrequent public transport, the Echizen Great Buddha is easiest to reach by car. The drive takes about 40 minutes from central Fukui City or about 10 minutes from the Fukui Dinosaur Museum. Free parking is available.

If you don't have a car, take the Echizen Railway Katsuyama Eiheiji Line from Fukui Station to Katsuyama Station (55 minutes, 820 yen one way, every 30 minutes), then transfer to a very infrequent community bus on the Heisenji Line to Echizen Daibutsu-mae bus stop (20 minutes, 100 yen, every 3-4 hours). On weekends and holidays outside winter, infrequent "Dinogon" tourist buses also connect the temple with Katsuyama Station, the dinosaur museum, and Heisenji Hakusan Shrine for 300 yen per ride. Alternatively, a taxi from the station to the temple costs around 1500 yen one way.