Uji
Uji, Kyoto
Uji is 17 minutes from Kyoto Station on the JR Miyakoji Rapid, and you go for Byodo-in. Its Phoenix Hall was finished in 1053 to hold a 2.4 m Amida Buddha by the sculptor Jocho. The approach to the temple is about 160 m of tea shops, and across the river the main hall of Ujigami Shrine is said to be the oldest shrine building in Japan.
Insider tip
Byodo-in's garden and museum cost ¥700. Going inside the Phoenix Hall is ¥300 more, in groups of up to 50 every 20 minutes from 9:30 to 16:10. The inside tours can fill up on busy days, so buy that ticket as soon as you arrive.
What the guides say about Uji
From here Nara is about 35 minutes away on the Kintetsu limited express, Uji 17 minutes on the JR Miyakoji Rapid and Himeji about an hour and a half on the JR Special Rapid (the castle's a 20-minute walk from the station). Osaka's about 30 minutes on the JR Special Rapid, and Fushimi Inari Taisha about 9 on the JR Nara Line. The day trips guide has more.
For tea to take home, Ippodo Tea has been on Teramachi since 1864, and in its Kaboku Tearoom the staff can talk you through making the tea yourself. Take-away matcha is ¥972. Uji is 17 minutes from Kyoto Station on the JR Miyakoji Rapid, and the approach to Byodo-in is about 160 m of tea shops. It's one of the day trips from Kyoto.
Nara is about 35 minutes away by Kintetsu limited express, Uji 17 minutes on the JR Miyakoji Rapid, and the Eizan Railway gets you to Kurama and Kibune from Demachiyanagi in about half an hour. The day trips guide has more.
Tickets and tours
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What's on at Uji
Upcoming events at Uji, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Exhibition: The Tale of Genji in Pictures
企画展 描かれる源氏物語
Time 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Uji Station (Keihan Uji Line), 8 min walk
Folding screens, woodblock prints and printed books that show scenes from The Tale of Genji. The museum is closed on Mondays, or the next day when Monday is a holiday.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Chakabuki tea tasting and Genji-ko talk at Takumi no Yakata
匠の館 特別企画 茶香服体験
Time 10:00-12:00 and 13:30-15:30 Station Keihan Uji, 3 min walk
Workshop comparing gyokuro, tencha and sencha in a tea-guessing game, with a talk on Edo-period tea culture and Genji incense by a Uji Genji Monogatari Museum curator. 18 places per session.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Exhibition: Celebrating with Folding Screens
企画展 寿ぐ！屏風絵
Time 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Uji Station (Keihan Uji Line), 8 min walk
Large folding screens, mainly with New Year celebration themes. The museum is closed on Mondays, or the next day when Monday is a holiday, and over the New Year.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Exhibition: Scenes from the Tale in Genji-e
企画展 あっ、この場面知ってます ー源氏絵からみる物語の世界ー
Time 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30) Station Uji Station (Keihan Uji Line), 8 min walk
Genji-e paintings of scenes from The Tale of Genji, shown with the matching text. The museum is closed on Mondays, or the next day when Monday is a holiday.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Uji River Cormorant Fishing
宇治川の鵜飼
Time Jul 1 to Aug 31: check-in from 17:30, boarding 18:30, departs 19:00, ends about 20:00. Sep: boarding 18:00, departs 18:30, ends about 19:30 Station Keihan Uji Station, 10 min walk; JR Uji Station, 15 min walk
From 1 July to 30 September, cormorant fishers work from wooden boats on the Uji River near Nakanoshima while passengers watch from shared or chartered boats. It is closed on Wednesdays and may be cancelled in bad weather or when the Amagase Dam releases water.
Tetsuhiro Terada, CC BY 2.0 Smaller local events nearby
Edo-Period Tea Culture and Genji-ko Session at Takumi no Yakata Food
Sat 31 Oct · Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall, Uji
A special session on tea culture that spread in the Edo period and the Genji-ko incense game, next to the Uji tea hall Takumi no Yakata.
¥2,000 per person · Map · Source: Ocha no Kyoto DMO · 【匠の館 特別企画】江戸時代に広がった茶文化と源氏香の世界
New Year's Eve bell ringing at Byodo-in Festival
Thu 31 Dec · Byodo-in, Uji
After a service in the Phoenix Hall, visitors can ring the bell in groups from 23:30 on 31 December, first come first served, and receive a special votive plaque. In Uji.
From 23:30 · Map · Source: Byodo-in · 除夜会・除夜の鐘（平等院）
Nearby
Good to know
- How do I get to Uji?
- The nearest station is Uji (JR Nara Line). Uji is in Uji, Kyoto.
- How much does Uji cost?
- Uji is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Uji?
- Plan for half day.
- When is the best time to visit Uji?
- Weekday mornings.
Stay near Uji
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