Wellness tours in Fukui, Japan's happiest prefecture

Tours include a special monastic training experience at Daihonzan Eiheiji and a traditional incense experience at Awara Onsen

Fukui Prefecture is said to be the happiest prefecture in Japan.

These tours offer special experiences unique to Fukui that will captivate visitors.

The first tour includes a seated zen meditation experience at Daihonzan Eiheiji, a Zen training monastery, and a guided tour of temple buildings not usually open to the public (Komyozo, Myokodai, and Furokaku) led by an English-speaking monk.

The second tour features a lecture by a wellness expert at Beniya Ryokan in Awara Onsen, a secluded hot spring resort in the Kansai region, on how to bathe in hot springs. You can also experience kodo, a traditional incense ceremony that dates to the sixth century, as performed by the Shino School.

The third tour features a lecture on agriculture and crafting the cushions used in Zen meditation at Eiheiji Temple, in addition to the Zen medition experience at Eiheiji Temple and the incense ceremony at Beniya Ryokan.

At ESHIKOTO, a facility operated by Kokuryu Sake Brewery, Fukui’s leading sake brewer, you can sample sake in the Garyu-to event hall, which is not usually open to the public.

At the Brilliant Heart Museum, built by world-renowned art director Masatoshi Toda, you can experience the tea ceremony and enjoy a conversation with the director himself.

Visits to ESHIKOTO and the Brilliant Heart Museum can also be booked as individual tours.