Uji Things to Do

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Confusingly there is a Uji Shrine which is a small local shrine and a Ujigama shrine which is a world heritage site. The Uji shrine was built in 1192 to commerate one of the sons of Emperor Ohjin who commited hari kari (ritual suicide).

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The Uji Fireworks festival is held on August 10. While Uji is usually a peaceful town with a very manageable number of tourists, during this festival be prepared for hoards of people and massive crowds! It doesn't even feel like the same city! It is an extremely popular event! The fireworks start well after it gets dark, but go early if you want a particularly good viewing spot. The fireworks are shot from the bridge.

Along with the fireworks there are hundreds of food and drink stands lining the streets! The show lasts for an hour with some short pauses here and there.

No matter how you got here, be prepared for a long wait to get home. The Keihan Station is typically a bit faster than the JR Station but both will require a lot of patience, because most people arrive by train. If you are prepared for the wait and don't get yourself worked up, it's really not that bad and the fireworks are great!

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The temple picture on the back of the 10 yen coin is of Byodo-in temple located 12 km south of Kyoto station, in Uji city...

Is one of the few original architecture dating back to the 11th century(heian period)....It was built to resemble a phoenix and you will see a replica of these on the roof.....

It was build in 950 first as a cottage for MINAMOTO TORU, the person believed to have been the REAL life individual...HIKARU GENJI, the hero of "THE GENJI STORY" .(click).The tale is regarded as one of the world's greatest love novels....

Byodo-in was later converted into a Buddhist temple...and in 1994 it was added to the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST.....

8.30am-5pm daily Mar-Nov;
9am-4pm Dec-Feb.

Admission is ??600 for adults and includes the Hoshokan.
Admission to the Phoenix Hall cost an additional ??500.

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Obakusan Mampukuji Temple is the head of the Obaku sect of Zen Buddhism. Even before entering, you can see by looking at the roof on the gate that it was designed using the Chinese Ming Dynasty-style architecture, which makes sense, because this sect of Buddhism came from China. It is one of the three major sects of Zen Buddhism in Japan, along with Rinzai and Soto. Of course, you'll also notice many Japanese elements, particularly in the temple's interior. The temple grounds are typically peaceful with few other visitors, so it's a nice getaway from the more touristy attractions.

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Built in 1060, Ujigami Shrine is considered to be the oldest Shinto Shrine in the country (although there are a few other shrines that also claim to be the oldest). Regardless, it is undoubtedly one of the oldest. It is rather small, but its age makes it a significant cultural treasure. It was designated a World Heritage Site, along with Byodoin, Enryakuji, and many sites in Kyoto.

Like most shrines, it is free to visit.

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The Byodoin Temple is one of Japan's most iconic temples; it appears on the ten yen coin! The Phoenix Hall dates back to 1053. It is a hall dedicated to the worship of Amida Buddha, and if you take the tour, you can enter to see the Buddha statue up close. If you enter, don't forget to look at the walls. There is a lot of great artwork that many visitors actually miss, because they are focused only on the Buddha.

The museum that accompanies the temple holds many great treasures from the temple. One of the highlights is the room filled with statues of Boddhisatvas, but all of the artifacts are quite well-preserved. It's well worth it to spend some time here.

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Mimurotoji Temple is rarely frequented by foreign tourists but not because it's not worth it! The temple itself is historic. It's the tenth temple in the Saigoku Pilgrimage Route. Beyond that, the temple is built in the mountainside and hydrangeas and azaleas have been planted all over the mountainside, so from mid-May through June the temple grounds blossom into a gorgeous array of flowers! I had no idea of this when I decided to go and I was shocked to see how beautiful it was.

Foreigners tend to know Uji as the site of Byodoin Temple however, most Japanese first associate Uji with the Tale of Genji. Uji is the setting of the last ten chapters of Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji, which is said to have been the world's first novel. The museum recreates scenes from the books. There is an audio guide available for non-Japanese speakers, so you will be able to follow along. Because the story was written and takes place in the Heian Period, the exhibits also provide a look into life in the Heian court.

Entrance is 500 yen.

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Not far from the city's center is Amagase Dam. It was built in 1964 to prevent flooding in the city. Although it's not a historic site, the view from atop the dam is impressive and it's completely free to walk atop. It's worth it if you have the time or if you want to add a little variety to your itinerary.

Everybody in Japan is familiar to this temple even though they don't know where it is actually.
Yes, the familiar Byodoin Hou-ou-do, the Phoenix Hall, is embossed on Japanese 10 yen coin!

Byodoin Temple was established in 1052, and the Phoenix Hall was in the following year 1053 to enshrine the Amida-Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata, the national treasure).
Also they have numerous cultural assets from the Heian Period, from the end of the 8th century to the 12th century. From my opinion, it's very interesting to see the 52 statues of Worshiping Bodhisattvas on Clouds inside of the Phoenix Hall. Every statue is riding on a cloud while dancing or playing various instruments. You can see some of them closer in the Hoshokan which is the museum in Byodoin.

The temple is surrounded by the beautiful garden. It's worth to walk around or sit down and enjoy the stillness of the beauty.

Open : 8:30am - 5:30pm
Entrance fee to Garden including Museum: 600 yen (for adult)
Entrance fee to Phoenix Hall : 300 yen (for adult)