1 / 4ZuiryujiPhoto: 柑橘類 (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Tap a photo to see it large. 4 photographs, every one credited.
The Maeda family temple of 1663, built for the lord who founded Takaoka. Its gate, Buddha hall and lecture hall were made National Treasures in 1997. 9:00–16:30, ¥500, no senior rate; allow about an hour.
- Our number 2 for Fushiki–Toyama, out of ten. It is the first thing we would spend the hours on.
- On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "Yes" — the anchor of a takaoka half-day with the daibutsu and yamachosuji. from fushiki it is zuiryuji or amaharashi, not both.
- It is not only a photo stop: seven casters, one lord, and four centuries of bronze.
- 9:00–16:30, entry to 16:00 — 10 dec – 31 jan closes 16:00; no closed days listed.
- No single published ride covers this one. Budget for a taxi both ways, or fold it into a guided day.
Why Zuiryuji is famous
Seven casters, one lord, and four centuries of bronze
Zuiryuji was built in 1663 by Maeda Toshitsune to mourn Toshinaga, the previous head of the house. Toshinaga founded Takaoka and built its castle. Its gate, Buddha hall and lecture hall were named National Treasures in 1997 as leading examples of the Zen architecture of the period. The covered corridors that join the halls are the reason it works on a wet day.
In 1611 a lord gave seven metalworkers a plot of land and a tax break. The town they founded now casts most of the bronze statues in Japan, and a basket you can bend with your hands.
Zuiryuji is the Maeda family temple, finished in 1663 as the memorial for Maeda Toshinaga, who died in Takaoka in 1614. His brother Toshitsune, third lord of Kaga, spent about twenty years building it. The Sanmon gate, the Butsuden and the Hatto hall became National Treasures in 1997. Shokoji, near the Fushiki berth, joined that rank in 2022.
The plan is Soto Zen at its most orderly. Gate, hall and hall sit on one axis, with covered corridors running round the whole courtyard. Those corridors are the point for a cruise day. The compound follows a Chinese Zen model, with the main gate standing outside the walls. On a wet day you can see almost all of it without an umbrella.
Maeda Toshinaga builds the castle and the town
Granted land and tax relief in Kanaya-machi; iron pots and kettles first
Temple bells and lanterns, then altar fittings and vases
Takaoka bronzes at the world expositions; exports grow
Kanaya-machi, the Daibutsu and the Mikurumayama museum are all walkable in Takaoka, a short train ride from the berth. Nousaku's factory tour needs a taxi and a booking.
Things worth knowing
- The temple car park holds 13 coaches. Arriving at the 9:00 opening gives you the courtyard before the groups.
- The Sanmon you see is the second one: the 1645 gate burnt in 1746 and was rebuilt between 1814 and 1818.
- If you use the Himi line, note the return trains: Takaoka 13:47, 15:23, 16:22 and 17:25. Gaps run up to 95 minutes.
- Takaoka Station is not Shin-Takaoka. The Shinkansen station is a 15-minute walk the other way; the shuttle and tram use Takaoka.
- Takaoka dōki高岡銅器 — Takaoka copperware: bells, statues, altar fittings and vases cast here since 1611.
- Imoji鋳物師 — A caster. Seven of them founded the trade; the word still names Kanaya-machi's district type.
Zuiryuji and your ship
Both pins on one map, so the distance is a fact rather than a feeling.
Where the 2 hr 30 min goes
Counted from the moment you step off the gangway. The hour before all-aboard is not in this bar; it is already set aside.
18 minutes each way is the measured figure for shuttle or taxi to takaoka station (~15–20 min), then 10 min on foot, not the optimistic one. If your ship is late, cut the 1 hr 54 min in the middle. Never cut the hour at the end.
Questions people send us
How do I get to Zuiryuji from the cruise ship?
Big ships dock at Manyo Wharf No. 3 in Fushiki, 8.5 km from Takaoka Station. Princess runs a paid shuttle to the station; otherwise a taxi is about ¥4,500 (our estimate) and 14 minutes. The cheap route is a 20-minute walk to JR Fushiki Station and the hourly Himi line, ¥210, 14 minutes. From the station the temple is a 10-minute walk south.
Is Zuiryuji worth it on a rainy day?
Yes, more than most things here. The covered corridors link the gate and the halls, so most of the visit is under a roof. The Tateyama view at Amaharashi disappears in rain; the temple does not.
Does Zuiryuji take cards?
Not confirmed. Bring ¥500 per person in cash; there is no ATM at either berth, so get cash at Takaoka Station.
Routes that already include it
Each one is a finished day we have walked and timed, with this stop in it. Read the route rather than assembling it yourself.
What to put beside it
Each of these still lands you back aboard with the hour to spare.
4 hr 10 min for bothShokoji temple, on foot from the wharf
The one sight you can walk to from the big-ship berth.
See the detail →
4 hr 30 min for bothAmaharashi Coast and the Tateyama view
Onna-iwa rock, the Himi-line train and the 3,000-metre Tateyama range across the bay, on a clear day.
See the detail →
4 hr 30 min for bothKaiwomaru Park and the Shinminato Bridge walkway
A four-masted training barque of 1930 you can board for ¥500, closed Wednesdays.
See the detail →