INFRAME ASIA, DESTINATIONS – Uji lies south of Kyoto and is one of Japan’s best-known destinations for green tea, particularly matcha. The city combines tea-growing landscapes with ancient temples, historic shrines, traditional tea houses and the Uji River. Its relatively compact center allows visitors to experience several aspects of Japanese history and tea culture within a walkable area.
Tea has been cultivated around Uji for centuries, with the region developing a reputation for producing high-quality Japanese green tea. Tea farmers across the surrounding hills continue to grow varieties used for matcha, sencha and other Japanese teas. The cultivation areas extend beyond the city center into quieter agricultural communities.
The landscape around Uji helps explain why tea became such an important part of the local economy. Hills surrounding the city provide suitable terrain for growing tea, while carefully maintained fields create rows of green across the slopes. Outside the central neighborhoods, visitors can encounter tea farms, processing facilities and small producers connected to the regional industry.
The Uji River runs through the center of the city and provides a natural connection between many of its historic areas. Walking along the river brings visitors past wooded hills, bridges and traditional buildings. The river also creates views toward several temples and historic sites that have shaped Uji’s identity.
One of the city’s most important landmarks is Byodo-in, a Buddhist temple whose most famous structure is the Phoenix Hall. The hall was built in 1053 during the Heian period and stands beside a pond surrounded by a traditional Japanese garden. Its image is also featured on Japan’s 10-yen coin.
The Phoenix Hall was designed to create a strong relationship between architecture and water. From across the pond, the building and its reflection form a distinctive composition that has survived for centuries. The surrounding garden preserves the atmosphere of a Buddhist Pure Land landscape associated with the temple.
Inside the Byodo-in complex, visitors can also explore a museum containing religious objects and artwork connected with the temple. The museum provides additional context for the Phoenix Hall and the Buddhist traditions that developed around the site. Together, the buildings, garden and collection form one of Uji’s main historical areas.
Tea shops surround the streets leading toward Byodo-in and the Uji River. Many specialize in locally produced green tea and serve matcha in both traditional and contemporary forms. Visitors can find bowls of freshly prepared matcha alongside sweets, ice cream, cakes and other desserts made with powdered green tea.
Traditional tea houses offer another way to experience Uji’s tea culture. Some serve matcha together with wagashi, Japanese sweets designed to balance the tea’s natural bitterness. Others provide tea ceremonies where visitors can observe the precise preparation and serving of powdered green tea.
The city’s tea culture extends beyond drinks and desserts into local food. Restaurants use matcha and other forms of Uji tea in dishes ranging from noodles to confectionery. Tea is therefore encountered not only as a beverage but also as an ingredient incorporated into contemporary versions of Japanese food.
Across the Uji River stands Ujigami Shrine, another important historic site. The shrine is believed to have been established many centuries ago, and its main sanctuary contains some of Japan’s oldest surviving examples of Shinto shrine architecture. Its wooded surroundings provide a quieter atmosphere compared with the busier streets near Byodo-in.
Ujigami Shrine forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property known as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The designation includes a group of temples, shrines and other historic sites in Kyoto, Uji and Otsu. Uji’s inclusion reflects the city’s importance within the wider cultural history of the former imperial region.
Literature is another part of Uji’s cultural identity through The Tale of Genji. Several chapters of the classic Japanese work, particularly its final sections, are set around Uji. References to the story can be found throughout the city, connecting its river landscapes and historic sites with one of Japan’s most influential works of literature.
The Tale of Genji Museum provides visitors with additional information about the novel and its historical setting. Exhibits explore the characters, lifestyle and material culture associated with the Heian period. The museum is located close to Ujigami Shrine and the river, making it possible to combine the literary attraction with a walk through the historic district.
Tea production remains an active part of life around Uji rather than simply a historical tradition. Farmers continue to cultivate tea leaves in surrounding communities, while producers process them into different varieties and grades. Seasonal changes in cultivation and harvesting determine the appearance and activity of the tea-growing areas.
The tea fields become particularly striking during the growing season, when rows of plants cover the surrounding hills in bright green. Farmers carefully manage shade, harvesting and processing depending on the type of tea being produced. These agricultural practices are part of the knowledge that has been passed between generations of tea producers.
The Uji River provides a different atmosphere during each season. Cherry blossoms appear along parts of the river in spring, while summer brings dense greenery to the surrounding hills. In autumn, the wooded landscape changes color around the temples, shrines and walking paths.
Visitors can connect the major parts of Uji on foot, beginning around the train stations and continuing toward the river, Byodo-in, Ujigami Shrine and the surrounding tea shops. The route passes through streets where traditional tea businesses operate alongside cafés, restaurants and souvenir stores. Beyond the historic center, quieter roads lead toward residential neighborhoods and the tea-growing hills.
