A little town with a lot of history, Uji is a worthwhile detour for travelers en route to Kyoto, Osaka, or Nara. Here, temples, shrines, and matcha green tea fields abound, providing visitors with plenty of Uji things to do. Must-sees include the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Byodoin Temple with its Heian-era Phoenix Hall; the Tsuen Tea House, Japan’s oldest; the Ujigami Shrine; and the fast-flowing Uji River, around which most of Uji’s historical sites are clustered.
There’s no bad time to visit Uji, but there are times when the city is more colorful. Cherry blossoms herald the start of spring in late March, followed by wisteria at the end of April. Rhododendrons also bloom at this time, tailed by azaleas and hydrangeas in June. See them all at Mimurotoji Temple. To watch Uji's famous ukai cormorant fishing, evening cruises depart from mid-June and late September. For fall foliage, visit from mid-November; for less tourists, visit in the winter.
The two Uji train stations (Keihan Uji and JR Uji) sit on opposite river banks connected by the Uji Bridge. You can walk to most of the town’s temples, tea houses, and museums from either station. Mimurotoji Temple and the site’s gardens are a 30-minute walk away, or you can take a bus from either train station to reach them.
Literary fans may recognize Uji as an important setting in the last ten chapters of Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji, the 11th-century book known as the world’s first novel. You can find several places linked to the book around the town. Check out the battle site of Mimuroto-ji Temple and visit the Tale of Genji Museum where English explanations and interactive games give the lowdown on the author and the Imperial court antics she wrote about centuries ago.
