Echizen Daibutsu
越前大仏
A giant-Buddha temple in Katsuyama, with a 17-metre Buddha seated in a huge hall and a 75-metre five-storey pagoda as a local landmark.
Seidai-ji was built in 1987 with funds from a local entrepreneur. Its main hall enshrines a Vairocana Buddha about 17 metres tall, taller than the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji in Nara, with roughly 1,280 small Buddha statues lining its four walls. Beside it, the five-storey pagoda rises about 75 metres, and you can climb it for views over Katsuyama's streets and the Kuzuryū River. The atmosphere is grand yet quirky, with a touch of Shōwa-era bubble-economy flamboyance, and it has drawn attention on social media in recent years. Admission is about ¥500, and it is open roughly 9:00 to 17:00. Getting there: a 20-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride from Katsuyama Station. It is often visited together with the Dinosaur Museum and Heisen-ji.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00 (until 16:30 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Heisen-ji Hakusan Shrine
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
- Echizen-Ōno Castle
- Eihei-ji Temple
- Karikomi Pond
- Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins
- Maruoka Castle
- Yōkōkan Garden