Rainy Day in Fukui: Best Indoor Spots & Activities

Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum (Fukui Kenritsu Kyoryu Hakubutsukan)

This museum, which could be called the very symbol of "Dinosaur Kingdom Fukui," is one of the three great dinosaur museums of the world, alongside the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada and the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in China. The moment you catch sight of the silver dome-shaped building rising suddenly out of the mountains of Fukui, the excitement of your trip will climb all at once.

Step inside and you are met by full dinosaur skeletons that seem to loom all the way to the ceiling. There are more than 40 of them in all. When you look up close at the sharp rows of teeth on the Tyrannosaurus, you should be able to feel the breath of the distant ancient past. Also not to be missed is the "Excavation Lab" (Hakkutsu Rabo), a luxurious corner where you can experience the front line of fossil excavation and watch actual cleaning work being carried out. Even on a rainy day — or rather, precisely because it is a rainy day — you can easily spend a full 3 to 4 hours here and lose track of time.

Best season and recommended times: The museum is extremely crowded with families during the summer and spring school holidays. For a relatively calm visit, aim for weekdays right after opening (around 9:00 to 10:30) or the late afternoon, about 2 hours before closing. Autumn weekdays during the fall foliage season are the best-kept secret of all.

A local way to enjoy it: At the "Outdoor Dinosaur Museum" (Yagai Kyoryu Hakubutsukan) on the grounds, you can join a tour of an actual excavation site (reservation required, separate fee). Seeing with your own eyes the "strata where real fossils lie sleeping" is an experience that moves adults just as much as children. The museum shop inside also carries a wide selection of dinosaur goods made in Fukui Prefecture, making souvenir hunting an enjoyable part of the visit.

Access: From JR Fukui Station, transfer to the Echizen Railway and get off at Katsuyama Station, then about 10 minutes by bus or taxi. Including the transfer, allow about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes from Fukui Station. By car, about 50 minutes from Fukui-Kita IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.

Tips for travelers: On weekends and consecutive holidays there can be a wait to enter, so advance reservation through the official website (date and time designated tickets) is strongly recommended. The interior is air-conditioned, so even in summer a light layer to put on over your clothes will keep you comfortable.

Eiheiji Temple (Interior Hall Tour)

Eiheiji, the head temple of the Soto school of Zen, was founded in 1244 by Dogen Zenji. The instant you set foot in the precincts, surrounded by deep stands of cedar, a serene air far removed from the bustle of daily life wraps around you. On rainy days, mist tangles among the trees and the mystical atmosphere deepens even further — Eiheiji is in fact a place that shows its true worth precisely when it rains.

The seven main halls (shichido garan) that make up the precincts are all connected by covered walkways, so you can visit every building without opening an umbrella. Walking along the cool wooden floorboards of the corridors and quietly viewing the Buddha Hall, Dharma Hall, and Monks' Hall, which have carried more than 700 years of history, is a luxurious stretch of time in which you are completely released from everyday busyness. This is a place where training monks actually live, and the dignified bearing of the unsui (training monks) you occasionally pass will bring a sense of quiet discipline to your own heart.

Best season and recommended times: May and June with their fresh greenery, and late October to early November when autumn colors dye the precincts, are especially beautiful seasons. The early morning hours of around 7:00 to 8:30 see few visitors, and the atmosphere of Zen training hangs more thickly in the air. The temple shows a completely different face from the daytime hours crowded with tourists.

A local way to enjoy it: At the shops lining the approach near the entrance, goma dofu (sesame tofu) is the specialty unique to Eiheiji. Taking shelter from the rain and resting at a teahouse over a serving of freshly made warm goma dofu is the local way to enjoy a visit. A one-night stay at the temple lodging "Shinzen no Yado Hakujukan," where you can enjoy shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), will also become an unforgettable memory of your trip (reservation required).

Access: About 40 minutes from JR Fukui Station by the Eiheiji Liner (direct bus). Service is limited, so it is better to check the timetable in advance. By car, about 20 minutes from Fukui-Kita IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.

Tips for travelers: The visitor route through the precincts has many slopes and stairs, so comfortable walking shoes are essential. Some areas inside the halls are off-limits to photography, so follow the instructions on the signs. Admission is 500 yen for adults (as of 2024). If you visit early in the morning, restaurants in the surrounding area may not yet be open, so bringing a light snack is recommended.

Fukui Prefectural Museum of Cultural History (Fukui Kenritsu Rekishi Hakubutsukan)

What layers of history is today's Fukui built upon? The answer is here. The Fukui Prefectural Museum of Cultural History offers a rich set of exhibits that carefully unravel the full history of Fukui, from the Jomon and Yayoi periods through to the modern era, and it is a place that satisfies intellectual curiosity.

Of particular note are the exhibits relating to the eyeglass industry and the textile industry. "Why does Fukui account for roughly 96% of the domestic share of eyeglass frames?" "How did Echizen woven textiles spread to the world?" Learning the historical background of these local industries completely changes the way the scenery of your destination looks to you. That eyeglass frame you casually picked up at a shopping mall may well have been the handiwork of a Fukui craftsman. Discoveries like that enrich everyday life.

Best season and recommended times: As an indoor facility that is comfortable to visit year-round, it is recommended at any time regardless of the weather. During special exhibition periods there is even more to see. Weekday mornings allow for a relatively relaxed visit.

A local way to enjoy it: In addition to the permanent exhibits, unique special exhibitions are held regularly, and the museum is loved by local residents as well. In the library inside the building you can browse local historical materials and deepen your understanding of Fukui.

Access: About 15 minutes on foot from JR Fukui Station, or about 10 minutes by bus. Located in the city center, it is easy to combine with other sightseeing spots.

Tips for travelers: Admission is a reasonable 200 yen for general visitors. Touring it together with the Dinosaur Museum and the Natural History Museum makes for a full day in which you can enjoy Fukui's nature, history, and culture from many angles.

Fukui City Museum of Natural History (Fukui-shi Shizenshi Hakubutsukan)

"The Dinosaur Museum is not the only place in Fukui where you can meet dinosaurs." Once you know that, you can no longer simply walk on past. The Fukui City Museum of Natural History can be called "the other sacred site" of Dinosaur Kingdom Fukui.

The greatest highlight is the full skeleton of "Fukuisaurus," discovered in Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture. Meeting a dinosaur dug out of the local earth brings a special sense of familiarity and romance. Centered on the dinosaur displays, the exhibits let you learn systematically about the history of the earth, ecosystems, and the natural environment of Fukui, and both adults and children can enjoy it without growing bored.

Best season and recommended times: Because it is compact in scale, it is less crowded than the Dinosaur Museum and is a hidden gem where you can observe at your own pace. Allow about 1 to 1.5 hours. It is also recommended as "preparatory study" before visiting the Dinosaur Museum.

A local way to enjoy it: Located in central Fukui City, a course combining it with street food around Fukui Station or a sauce katsudon lunch is the standard local way to spend the day. Pairing it with local gourmet food is the stylish way to travel.

Access: About 15 to 20 minutes on foot from JR Fukui Station, or about 10 minutes by bus. Situated in the area around the Fukui Castle ruins and the prefectural government offices, it is easy to combine with a stroll through the city center.

Tips for travelers: Admission is an extremely reasonable 130 yen for general visitors. It is perfect for a short stay on a rainy day and easy to work into a combination with other spots.

Echizen Washi Village: Udatsu Craft Museum (Echizen Washi no Sato, Udatsu no Kogeikan)

That the act of "making paper by hand" could be this beautiful and this profound — travelers who feel this way for the first time on visiting the Udatsu Craft Museum at Echizen Washi Village are without end. Standing in the Imadate district, home of Echizen washi with a history of more than 1,500 years, this facility is the spot to choose without hesitation if you want "a hands-on place where you can settle in for a while" during a rainy day in Fukui.

In the workshop, you can watch up close the production process of Echizen washi as it is created by the hands of craftspeople. The beauty of the moment when fibers dance in the water and turn into a single sheet of paper is an experience to confirm with your own eyes, not through a smartphone screen. Take on the paper-making experience (application required) and you can create a sheet of washi that exists nowhere else in the world, made by your own hands. It makes a memento of the trip or a souvenir for someone important, and an unforgettable memory.

Best season and recommended times: It can be enjoyed all year round, but the early morning hours are recommended for joining the hands-on programs, as they are less crowded. On rainy days in particular, travelers who want to "take their time while making something" gather here, so during busy periods an advance reservation is reassuring.

A local way to enjoy it: At "Papyrus House" near the facility, you can enjoy a more full-scale paper-making experience and create original works using Echizen washi. The Imadate district also retains an old townscape of washi wholesalers, and strolling through the atmosphere created by rain-dampened stone pavement and old townhouses is exceptional (by walking along under the eaves you can enjoy it even in some rain).

Access: About 20 minutes by bus from JR Takefu Station (now Echizen-Takefu Station), or about 1 hour by bus from Fukui Station. By car, it is accessible in about 15 minutes from Takefu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.

Tips for travelers: The hands-on programs take about 1 to 2 hours. It is best to take part in clothing you do not mind getting wet. The finished washi takes time to dry, so bringing packing material to carry it home the same day makes things go smoothly. There is a shop inside the facility stocked with tasteful souvenirs such as postcards and notebooks made with Echizen washi.

Access Information

The starting point for sightseeing in Fukui is JR Fukui Station. With the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga in March 2024, access from the Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Osaka directions has become dramatically more convenient.

• Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum: From JR Fukui Station to Katsuyama Station on the Echizen Railway (about 50 minutes)