One of the main temples of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism in Japan, Eihei-ji is located about 15 km east of Fukui in Fukui Prefecture. It comprises of a large temple complex, and active monastery situated on a cedar covered slope in the mountains. Within the temple grounds are 70 buildings connected by covered walkways that offer protection from the heavy snow falls that can occur from December to March. During the warmer months visitors will see lush vegetation.The temple was founded in 1244 by Dogen, who was a Buddhist scholar that introduced Soto Zen to Japan in 1228.