Gotanjoji Temple
About This Destination
Gotanjoji is a Soto Zen training temple in the hills of Shoda-cho, on the eastern edge of Echizen City. It is a working monastery where monks train full time, but it is far better known by its nickname, the cat temple (neko-dera). Over the years the temple took in homeless cats and now cares for around thirty of them. They wander the grounds freely, dozing on the steps, the handrails and the visitors' benches. The temple no longer accepts new cats, so that the ones it has can be properly looked after.
The cats are the draw, and the temple leans into it. There is a cat Buddha, a statue with carved cats clambering over it, along with maneki-neko fortune slips (omikuji), a cat-themed goshuin (temple seal) and a matching cat goshuincho to collect it in. The goshuin desk at the temple office runs 9:00 to 17:00, and donations of 300 to 1,000 yen go to the cats' medical fund. A free Sunday zazen (seated meditation) session is held every week at 13:30.
The cats are at their liveliest around feeding time, roughly 8:00 in the morning and 15:30 in the afternoon; in summer the cooler visit around 7:30 is easier on both cats and people. In the middle of the day they mostly sleep in the shade. This is an active temple rather than a cat cafe, so keep your voice down, do not chase, feed or pick up the cats, and follow the signs about where visitors can go. Entry is free, and there are about fifty parking spaces, large buses included.
Location
Prefecture: Fukui
Address: Echizen, Fukui, Japan
Nearest Station: Echizen-Takefu Station
Visitor Information
Credit Cards: Unknown
Food Options: None at the temple. The nearest choices are in central Echizen (Takefu) and at the Michi-no-Eki Echizen-Takefu roadside station, which has restaurants and an Echizen-soba counter.
Access
Fukui, Japan
Get DirectionsFrequently Asked Questions
Why is Gotanjoji called the cat temple?
It is a Soto Zen training temple rather than a tourist attraction, but over the years it took in homeless cats and now cares for around thirty of them. They live on the grounds and wander freely, which earned it the nickname neko-dera, the cat temple. To keep those cats properly looked after, the temple no longer accepts new ones, so it is a place to visit the resident cats, not to bring or adopt one on the day.
When is the best time to see the cats active?
Around the two feeding times, roughly 8:00 in the morning and 15:30 in the afternoon, when the cats gather and are at their liveliest. In summer the cooler window around 7:30 is kinder to both cats and visitors. In the middle of the day they tend to sleep in the shade, so a midday visit means quieter cats.
Does it cost anything, and how should I behave around the cats?
Entry to the grounds is free. This is a functioning monastery where monks train, not a cat cafe, so keep your voice down, do not chase, feed or pick up the cats, and follow any signs about where visitors can go. If you want to give something back, the cat-themed goshuin at the office, 300 to 1,000 yen, goes to the cats' medical fund. A free Sunday zazen meditation session is held at 13:30.
Can I adopt a cat or bring one to the temple?
No. The temple has stopped taking in new cats so it can keep the ones it has in good conditions, and it is not a walk-in adoption centre. Treat a visit as a chance to spend time with the resident cats, buy a cat goshuin or omikuji, and support the medical fund, rather than to rehome an animal.
How do I get to Gotanjoji and is there parking?
A car is the practical option: it is about 10 minutes from the Takefu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway, and there are around 50 free parking spaces, large buses included. By train, the nearest stops are JR Takefu Station and the Hokuriku Shinkansen's Echizen-Takefu Station, but the temple sits in the hills with no direct service, so you would need a taxi or car for the last stretch.
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