Sights between Toyama and Osaka?

Hello,

My partner and I are traveling from Vladivostok, Russia, to Fushiki in Toyama-ken in August. We used to live in Kansai, so we are going to head to Osaka, but we are wondering if there is anything worth stopping off to see on the way? Particularly in Fukui-ken? I'm sure there is, but I was looking for some tips. We love onsen, and aren't really looking to visit big cities! Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

1. Kanazawa - Awara Onsen - Tojinbo - Eihei-ji - Fukui - Lake Biwa - Hikone - Kyoto - Osaka

2. Kanazawa - Shirakawa-go - Takayama - Gifu - Inuyama - Nagoya - Nara - Osaka

The first route has longer stay in Fukui prefecture. The towns in the second route are more popular which means more tourists. And of course if you want you can mix and match the 2 suggested routes.

Just a few ideas for a visit to Fukui-ken. Tojinbo has very nice ocean and shoreline views. The castle in Maruoka is one of the best in Japan to visit. It is a smaller castle, so not grand like Himeji-jo or Osaka-jo, but for it's size, very impressive. It is a original castle although it was rebuilt after a earthquake did some damage. Eihei-ji is a must see if in Fukui-ken. While at the temple, you may get to see Buddhist Monks in training. The castle town of Ono has a nice small town feel. Although the castle in Ono is not much when compared to Maruoka-jo, the views from Ono-jo of the surrounding area is worth a visit to see, if you enjoy smaller towns.