Uji( vũ trị thị ) is a city inKyoto prefecture,Japan.

Two of Uji's historic monuments, Byōdō-in Buddhist temple and Ujigami Shinto Shrine, have been inscribed asWorld Heritage sitesas part of "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)".

Byōdō-in's Phoenix Hall

Understand

Uji is one of the oldest cities in Japan. Located between the two ancient capitals ofNaraandKyoto,its roots reach almost as deep into Japanese history as its those of its two famous neighbors. Uji was the scene of many famous ancient stories, including the final chapters ofThe Tale of Genji.Author Alex Kerr extols its virtues in his bookLost Japan,contrasting Uji favorably with Kyoto as a (rare) example of a historic Japanese city whose modern development has not disrupted its classical beauty. There are stores that have been open for hundreds of years, and several important temples lie within its borders. The city has also been celebrated for itsteafor almost a thousand years. During cherry blossom season, the bridge that spans the Uji River makes for a breathtaking walk.

• 1Uji City Tourist Information Center,2 Tokawa Uji,[email protected].Daily 09:00-17:00.Tourist information center next to the Byōdō-in Temple. This is also were you can sign up for the tea ceremony next door.(updated May 2017)
• 2Tourist Information Center,Uji JR station,[email protected].Daily 09:00-17:00.Tourist information center next to the JR station.
• Guide site by the Tourist Association.
• The city government's site has a downloadableEnglish pamphlet.

Get in

The1JR stationis probably the most convenient way to Uji for most people. It is on the Nara line, and has trains from Kyoto (20 min, ¥240) and Nara (35 min, ¥500). The main sights along the river are a short walk from the station.

The2Keihan stationis on the other side of the river, but is slightly closer to most of the sights. This line can be a good alternative if you are planning a day trip fromOsakaand don't have a JR pass. Trains from Osaka take around 55 minutes for ¥410 with one change in Chushojima. However, Keihan railways have a special Kyoto-Osaka sightseeing pass (¥700/1000 for 1/2 days) giving unlimited rides, which is cheaper than a return ticket and allows you to also travel to Kyoto.

Get around

Most of the sights are a short walk from either of the stations. Most of the sights are along the river on either shore. Everything is quite compact and it is easily possible to cover everything in one day by just strolling along the river. You will probably not need a map, but if you want one, they are available at either of the tourist offices.

See

Since Uji is a place full of tradition, there are many small temples to be found on both sides of the river. There are excellent explanatory displays in both English and Japanese in front of most of the major and minor sights.

• 1Byōdō-in Temple(Bình đẳng viện).Mar-Nov: daily 08:30-17:30, Dec-Feb: daily 09:00-16:30.The Byōdō-in was built by Fujiwara Yorimichi, the Chief Adviser to the Emperor, in 1053. It was built as a rural villa owned by his father. Yorimichi built the temple in response to the prevalent fear that a dark age was about to dawn, and Buddhism would soon disappear. The main statue of thePhoenix Hall( phượng hoàng đườngHōō-dō) represents the Buddha Amida (Amitabha); many people turned to it for refuge from the present and future, and this gave rise to the Pure Land Faith movement of Buddhism. Battles and fires took their toll on Byōdō-in over several hundred years, but a fire during the Edo period proved devastating. Only the Hōō-dō survived intact, protected by a pond. For a quick preview of what you'll see, check your pockets: the Hōō-dō is the temple on the¥10 coin. The entrance fee also covers the temple's museum, which contains a variety of historical artifacts from the temple. The video and displays are all translated into English, so foreign visitors can easily appreciate the museum artifacts. If you choose to enter to the Phoenix Hall, it costs extra, and you can only enter as a tour (aka: you can't just walk in and out on your own). The tours run every 20 minutes and are limited to 50 people. No photos are allowed inside the Hall, and the tour is only in Japanese, although a written English transcript is provided. Inside, you will see the Buddha statue up close. Don't forget to look at the artwork behind you and on the side walls. An interesting fact that you won't hear on the tour is that in the early 20th century, the Byōdō-in was actually used by many local homeless as a temporary home. They tell visitors that all of the fading just happened over time, but you'll notice the artwork is completely gone on the bottom. This is because the homeless who lived here often wrote graffiti on the walls, so the original artwork was lost, even after the homeless were forced out and restoration was attempted. If you want to see the interior of the Hōō-dō, arrive well in advance of the last tour (4:10PM). Byōdō-in is aWorld Heritage site.Entrance to the temple grounds and museum is ¥600. Those who wish to enter the Phoenix Hall must pay an additional ¥300.

Ujigami Shrine

• 2Ujigami Shrine(Vũ trị thượng thần xã, ujigami-jinja)(just to the left of Uji Shrine).This modest little shrine is another one of Uji's historic monuments recognized as aWorld Heritage site.It's said to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan and was built to console the soul of Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko, who committed suicide in the Uji River.Free.
• 3Uji Shrine(Vũ trị thần xã, uji-jinja).The Uji shrine and the Ujigami shrine next door used to be part of the same complex, then known as Rikyukamisha. An interesting feature is the rabbit sculpture, which is said to have prevented the deity from getting lost.Free.
• 4The Tale of Genji Museum(Vũ trị thị nguyên thị vật ngữ bác vật quán, uji-shi genjimonogatari myūjiamu),45-26 Uji, Higashiuchi,☏+81 81-774-399-300.Daily 09:00-17:00.It's across the river from Byōdō-in, near Ujigami Shrine and the Keihan Uji station. The latter third of the Japanese classicThe Tale of Genjitook place in Uji, and there are statues sprinkled throughout the city to commemorate that. It all reaches a crescendo at the Tale of Genji Museum. There are English audio guides available to use for a self-guided tour to help you better understand the exhibits, as well as the video. Those familiar with the story will probably appreciate the museum, and perhaps the city itself much better.¥500,¥250 for students.
• 5Kōshō-ji Temple(Hưng thánh tự).A Zen temple that features a long, justly-famous tree-covered approach from the river. It's a lovely walk in the autumn. Kosho-ji is a working temple, so while visitors can walk the grounds, the temple buildings themselves are frequently in use. Keep quiet while you're there; zen chants hang in the air in the late afternoon.
• 6Mimuroto-ji Temple(Tam thất hộ tự).One of the settings of the Tale of Genji, as well as the 10th temple along theSaigoku 33 Kannon Temple PilgrimageRoute. This temple will be of high interest to those who love flowers and gardens. Around the temple, lotus flowers have been planted in pots. Within the entire temple complex however, there are thousands of hydrangea, rhododendron, and azaleas all over the mountainside, and there are paths throughout the garden, so you can enjoy the flowers as you walk among them. The best time to see the flowers are from mid-May to July.Entrance is ¥500.
• 7Mampuku-ji Temple(Vạn phúc tự).This is the head temple of the Japanese Ōbaku Zen sect, which is considered to be more Chinese than the other two sects (Rinzai and Soto). You can see the Chinese influences in the architecture, as the roofs were built in the Ming Dynasty style.
• 8Nintendo Museum,56 Kaguraden, Ogura-cho, Uji-shi.Daily except Tuesdays 10:00 - 18:00.This video game giant converted their old plant into a museum for the company. Has many historical items in their collection, and interactive experiences for Nintendo products.¥3300 for adult(18+), ¥2200 for youth(12-17),¥1100 for children(6-11),free for preschooler(0-5).(updated Oct 2024)

• 9Amagase Dam(Thiên ヶ lại ダム).This dam is south of the city. A scenic walkway leads there from Uji either shore of the river and the dam itself offers nice views.

Do

• Uji being famous for tea, this is the perfect place to experience a traditional Japanesetea ceremony:
  • 1Municipal Tea House Taihō-an(Đối phượng am),1-5 Togawa.Daily 10:00-16:00.This tea house, operated by the town of Uji, is located along the river close to the Byodo-in temple. The tea ceremony is held in a traditional Japanese building with tatami and table seating. The tea on offer is either Sencha or Matcha, however you don't get to choose, it is whichever is on offer that day. You can buy tickets in the tourist information office right next to the tea house.¥1000.(updated May 2017)
  • 2Tearoom Zuishō-an at Nakamura Tokichi Honten(Thụy tùng am, trung thôn đằng cát bổn điếm),10 Uji Ichiban,☏+81 774-22-7800,[email protected].Daily 11:00, 14:00 and 16:00.This is a more expensive option for a tea ceremony, however it is also longer. The program includes grinding the matcha powder as well as the tea ceremony with two kinds of matcha (koicha and usucha). The tearoom is located at the back of the Nakamura Tokichi main store.¥4320.(updated Aug 2017)
• TheTea Festivaltakes place on the first Sunday of October. As befits a city built on tea, Uji takes its water seriously. This festival celebrates the rituals involved in drawing up the famous water. Costumes are worn, prayers of thanks are said to the luminaries of tea history, tea-tasting competitions are held, and best of all, there's free tea on offer.
• Cormorant fishingcan be seen on summer nights along the Uji River. Fishermen using fire, nets and trained birds make for an exciting spectacle. During fishing season, boat tours are run on the river that will get you very close to the action. Visit the kiosk by the stone pagoda at 6pm to buy tickets (you can tell you're getting close when you see the boats lining the river). At¥1800/person for an hour on the river (children¥900), it's not a bad deal.
• Mt. Buttoko(Phật đức sơn, also known asMt. DaikichiĐại cát sơn)(east of the river, a short distance from the Tale of Genji Museum and Ujigami Shrine).Offers a decent hike with an observatory at the top for views of the area.(updated Oct 2016)
• Kyō potteryhas been a cherished local tradition since the Muromachi period.Asashiyaki Potteryis on the east side of the river, near Kosho-ji, andShizugawa Togei Kyoshitsuis further to the south. Visitors who are especially interested can take a taxi toSumiyama Pottery Village(2-2 Kuda, Sumiyama, Uji City), about 6.5 km from the city center. At Sumiyama, visitors can tour factories manufacturing pottery in the Kyo and Kiyomizu traditions. Pottery design and painting classes are also available.

Buy

The Sankyū-an ( tam hưu am ) shopping street, leading from the Uji Bridge toward Byodo-in, features several old stores with the city's famous tea and pottery.

Eat

Local specialties centre around green tea (naturally) and Kyoto cuisine. Some of what you'll find in town:

• Cha-sobamade by mixing green tea with regular soba noodles. There are also cha-udon restaurants.
• Green-tea flavoured ice cream, including the ubiquitous soft-serve cones.
• Green-tea flavoureddango,often served as the sweet included with matcha service.
• Kyoto cuisine, including yuba, kaiseki-ryori, etc.

Places to eat:

A map of restaurants and shops can be obtained from the tourism information centre near Byodo-in.

• Renge Chaya(Liên hoa trà ốc).near the front gate of Byodo-in, near the end of Renge, Uji's main shopping street. No English is spoken by the staff, but English menus are available. Despite having two floors, it gets crowded in the early afternoon; as a result, the wait can be a bit long, but the food is excellent. Expect to pay¥700 for a bowl of noodles with some tempura,¥1500 for a filling set with a variety of noodles and tempura, and¥3400 for a seafood blowout set.(updated Feb 2024)
• Dontaku(どんたく).Excellent noodle shop directly across from the JR Uji station. (Look for the flashing light in front) It is both cheap and tasty. Try the "champon".(updated Feb 2024)

Drink

Green tea!Uji produces the most famous (and the most expensive) tea in Japan. Otherwise, it's not long on nightlife.

• 1Nakamura Tokichi Honten(Trung thôn đằng cát bổn điếm),5-1 Ujirenge,☏+81 774-22-9500.Daily 10:00-17:00.Green tea and maccha desserts. This cafe is located at the river front. There is another bigger cafe and shop near the JR rail station.(updated Dec 2016)

Sleep

Take some care while you're by the river

Plenty of ryokan and hotels are available inKyotoorNara.However, if you'd like to stay in Uji, there are a few options:

• Hanayashiki-Ukifune-en,Tounoshima-mae,☏+81 774-21-2126.A beautifully-appointed ryokan with views of the Uji river, both from the rooms and the sauna upstairs.Rooms at ¥8,000-12,000 with breakfast, or ¥16,000-20,000 with two meals at the hotel restaurant.(updated Apr 2016)
• Seizan-so,27-2, Uji-Tounokawa,☏+81 774-21-2181.Another ryokan with views of the Uji River and two public baths. Japanese and Western style rooms are available.Rooms at ¥10,000 with breakfast or ¥16,000-20,000 with two meals. Higher prices on weekends and holidays.(updated Apr 2016)

Go next

• KyotoandNaraare a short trip in either direction; most visitors will have arrived from one or the other.
• Kyotanabe
• Ujitawara
• Joyo
• Kizugawa
• Wazuka
• Kumiyama
• Yawata
• OtsuIf you are hungry for more Tale of Genji locations, visit Ishiyama-dera temple, where the book was written.

Routes through Uji

Kyoto←Momoyamagoryōmae←	NS	→Shin Tanabe→ into Kashihara line→Kashiharajingumae
Kokusaikaikanmae←into←Takeda←	NS	→Shin Tanabe→ into Nara line→Kintetsu Nara
Kyobashi←into main line ←Chushojima←	WE	→END
Karasuma Gojyō←Fushimi←	NE	→Nara→Kashihara→Wakayama