In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Uji
宇治市
Give Uji half a day from Kyoto or Osaka for Byōdō-in and the tea shops; sleep here only if you want a quiet river town instead of a city.
Uji is a compact river town 20 minutes from Kyoto, and it holds two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Byōdō-in, the temple on the ¥10 coin, and Ujigami Shrine. It has been Japan's benchmark tea town for about a thousand years, so the tea shops, tea ceremony houses and matcha desserts are the point, not a side note. Almost everything sits within a 20-minute walk of either station, so most travellers see it as a half-day trip and keep their bed in Kyoto or Osaka.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 宇治市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), Golden Week, cherry-blossom weekends at the bridge
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–14,000 excl. bed · High ¥14,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Matcha tea ceremony at the municipal tea house | ¥1,000 |
| Longer matcha-grinding tea ceremony | ¥4,320 |
| Byōdō-in grounds and museum | ¥600 |
| Phoenix Hall timed tour, on top of entry | ¥300 |
| Mimuroto-ji entry | ¥500 |
| Nintendo Museum, adult / youth / child | ¥3,300 / ¥2,200 / ¥1,100 |
| Cha-soba or udon bowl | ¥700–1,500 |
| Matcha soft-serve cone | ¥350–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KIX · Kansai International
- Rail to Kyoto or Osaka first, then a JR or Keihan line to Uji; allow 2–2.5 h door to door
- ITM · Osaka Itami
- Domestic mostly; bus or monorail into Osaka, then Keihan to Uji
Typical fares
- JR Kyoto → Uji
- about ¥240, 20 min
- JR Uji → Nara
- about ¥500, 35 min
- Keihan Osaka → Uji
- about ¥410 with one change, 55 min
Get around
Walk. The sights line the river between the JR and Keihan stations, 15–25 min end to end. Buses serve Mimuroto-ji and Mampuku-ji; taxis wait at JR Uji.
See and do
Known for
- Byōdō-in Phoenix Hall (UNESCO)
- Ujigami Shrine (UNESCO)
- Matcha and gyokuro tea
- Tale of Genji settings
- Uji Bridge and river walks
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto | JR Nara line from JR Uji, about 20 min | About 35 min |
| Nara | JR Nara line from JR Uji, about 35 min | About 50 min |
| Osaka | Keihan line with one change at Chushojima, about 55 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Kyotanabe | JR or Kintetsu, one or two stops | About 15–25 min |
Sleep
- Uji Station area (JR and Keihan)
- Business hotels and the main tea shops; JR for Kyoto and Nara, Keihan for Osaka and Kyoto.
- Uji River east bank
- Ryokan with river views near Ujigami Shrine and the Tale of Genji Museum; quiet at night.
- Kyoto or Osaka (most travellers)
- Uji is 20 min from Kyoto and about 55 min from Osaka, so a day trip needs no bed here.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| Matcha, please | 抹茶をお願いしますmatcha o onegaishimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Phoenix Hall entry is a separate timed tour, Japanese-language only with an English transcript; last tour is well before closing, so go early.
- Many tea shops and cafés close by 17:00–18:00 and some shut one weekday; check before you build a day around one.
- Nintendo Museum tickets are dated and sold by lottery or advance sale only; no ticket, no entry.
- Summer is humid and the river path has little shade; carry water.
- Small tea shops may take cash only.
Very safe. The real risks are summer heat, bicycles on the river path, and slipping on wet stone steps at the shrines after rain.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Uji yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Byōdō-in Phoenix Hall (UNESCO)
- Ujigami Shrine (UNESCO)
- Matcha and gyokuro tea
- Tale of Genji settings
- Uji Bridge and river walks
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Uji City official site: www.city.uji.kyoto.jp/
- Uji Tourist Association: www.kyoto-uji-kankou.or.jp/index-en.html
- Byōdō-in: www.byodoin.or.jp/
- Nintendo Museum: museum.nintendo.com/en/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Uji, revision 5222681 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5222681
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Uji宇治市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Uji; most are in Tokyo, with consulates-general in Osaka and Kyoto (check).
Tourist information desks sit by Byōdō-in and at JR Uji, daily 09:00–17:00.Tourist information desks sit by Byōdō-in and at JR Uji, daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/uji). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.