A temple of the Myōshin-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen school in Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture, known for the Echizen Great Buddha, which stands 17 meters tall. The businessman Tada Kiyoshi founded it in 1987, and it later became a religious corporation. The spacious grounds, with the Great Buddha, a five-story pagoda, and covered corridors, are large in scale and well worth seeing.
The principal image, a seated statue of Vairocana Buddha, is 17 meters tall, larger than the Great Buddhas of Nara and Kamakura. It was modeled on the Buddhist statues at the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, China. Looking up at the Buddha seated within the hall, you are overwhelmed by its sheer size.
A five-story pagoda 75 meters tall rises in the grounds. It is one of the largest reinforced-concrete pagodas in Japan, about 20 meters taller than the five-story pagoda at Tō-ji in Kyoto. From its upper floors, you can look out over the town of Katsuyama and the surrounding mountains.
The Great Buddha hall and covered corridors spread out, and rows of many small Buddhist statues line the walls inside. Built on a grand scale in a Chinese-influenced style, the grounds offer photogenic views at every turn.
By car it is close to the Katsuyama Interchange on the Chūbu-Jūkan Expressway, and can be combined with the Dinosaur Museum and Heisenji Hakusan Shrine. From Katsuyama Station on the Echizen Railway, you can reach it by bus or taxi.
〒911-0811 50-1-1 Katase, Katsuyama, Fukui
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| Mon | 08:00–17:00 |
|---|---|
| Tue | 08:00–17:00 |
| Wed | 08:00–17:00 |
| Thu | 08:00–17:00 |
| Fri | 08:00–17:00 |
| Sat | 08:00–17:00 |
| Sun | 08:00–17:00 |
Regular holidays:Open daily (with occasional closures in winter)
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. In winter, hours are shortened to 9:00 to 16:00.
Hours verified June 2026
Hours may have changed. Please confirm before visiting.
The anime, manga, and games that feature Seidai-ji Temple in real life.
A travel guide to the real-world locations of Yamato, the western-Japan nation in the manga and anime Nippon Sangoku. It tours the actual spots in Ehime, Osaka, Fukui, and Aichi that became settings in the story, with the scenes they inspired, what to see on site, and how to reach them from abroad.
The temple's official site, with admission, hours, and access.
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