Uji
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: September 28, 2026
Uji is a riverside town south of Kyoto, known for green tea and for Byodo-in, whose Phoenix Hall of 1053 is on the 10-yen coin. Byodo-in's garden and museum cost ¥700 (8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), and a short guided visit inside the Phoenix Hall is ¥300 more on a timed ticket. Byodo-in is about 10 minutes on foot from both JR Uji and Keihan Uji stations.
- Area
- Uji City
- Best For
- Matcha, Buddhist Art, UNESCO Heritage, Day Trips
Visiting Uji
Uji is a small city on the Uji River, south of Kyoto on the JR Nara Line and the Keihan Uji Line. Its sights sit on both banks within walking distance: Byodo-in and the tea shops of its approach on the west bank, and Uji Shrine and Ujigami Shrine on the east.
Byodo-in began in 1052, when the regent Fujiwara no Yorimichi turned his father Michinaga's villa into a temple. The Phoenix Hall was dedicated the following year to house a gilded Amida Buddha by the sculptor Jocho, the only surviving work securely attributed to him, surrounded by 52 carved bodhisattvas riding on clouds. The hall stands on an island in its pond and faces east, so the Pure Land it represents lies to the west. The original bronze phoenixes from its roof and the temple bell are now in the Hoshokan museum.
Across the river, Ujigami Shrine's main hall dates from the Heian period and is the oldest surviving shrine building in Japan; it and the worship hall are National Treasures, and entry is free. Uji Shrine, just below it, is a separate shrine with its own vermilion gate.
The street leading to Byodo-in is lined with tea merchants and cafes selling matcha, sencha and green-tea sweets, and the city's Tale of Genji Museum covers the novel's last ten chapters, which are set in Uji.
Byodo-in, in the right order
Short answer
Buy the timed Phoenix Hall ticket first, then see the garden and museum while you wait.
Enter the garden. Open from 8:45 a.m.; ¥700, and no re-entry.
Get a Phoenix Hall ticket. At the interior-tour desk in the garden from 9:10 a.m.; ¥300 cash; tours every 20 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.
Garden and Hoshokan. Walk round the pond and through the museum; about 40 minutes.
The Phoenix Hall. Be at the meeting point 5 minutes before your time; the tour lasts about 15 minutes.
When to go
Short answer
Weekday mornings have the shortest waits for the Phoenix Hall; spring and autumn weekends the longest.
- Weekday mornings
- The shortest waits for the Phoenix Hall interior.
- Spring and autumn weekends
- Waits of 1 to 2 hours are possible, and Byodo-in expects longer ones once tours are cut to 35 people on October 16, 2026.
- Until October 15, 2026
- Summer arrangement: 30 people per tour, and the tours at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 suspended.
- Mid-April to early May
- Wisteria by the Phoenix Hall pond.
- Mid-November to early December
- Maples around the Phoenix Hall.
Fitting Uji into a day
Short answer
Uji fills half a day; pair it with a sight on the same railway lines.
Better on another day
Arashiyama
In the far north-west of Kyoto; give it its own day.
Uji, sight by sight
Byodo-in and the Phoenix Hall
Buy the timed Phoenix Hall ticket as soon as you are inside the garden, then walk round the pond and through the Hoshokan while you wait. Inside the hall, a member of staff talks about the Amida Buddha and the paintings for about 15 minutes, in Japanese, with printed guides in English and seven other languages. At busy times the Hoshokan may close its video room and its corner of excavated objects.
Uji Shrine and Ujigami Shrine
Cross to the east bank for Uji Shrine and, a short walk beyond it, Ujigami Shrine, whose small Heian-period main hall sits behind a worship hall said to come from a detached palace. Ujigami is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.; charms and temple stamps are sold from 9:00 a.m., cash only.
Tea
Tea merchants along Byodo-in's approach sell matcha and sencha, and several have tearooms. Byodo-in's own tearoom, Toka, is closed Monday to Wednesday unless it is a public holiday.
The Tale of Genji Museum
The city museum on the novel's Uji chapters is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), closed on Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a holiday) and over New Year; adults pay ¥600.
How to Get to Uji
Uji is south of Kyoto on two railways, the JR Nara Line to JR Uji and the Keihan Uji Line to Keihan Uji. Both stations are about 10 minutes on foot from Byodo-in.
From Kyoto Station
The JR Nara Line runs from Kyoto Station to Uji, stopping at Inari, for Fushimi Inari, on the way.
From Gion and downtown
Take the Keihan Main Line from Gion-Shijo or Sanjo to Chushojima and change to the Keihan Uji Line for Uji, the last stop.
Between the sights
Byodo-in is on the west bank; Keihan Uji Station and Ujigami Shrine are on the east bank, about 10 minutes apart. Ujigami Shrine is about 20 minutes on foot from JR Uji.
By car
Byodo-in has no car park of its own; use coin parking nearby or the private Uji Parking by its south gate.
- •JR Uji or Keihan Uji, then about 10 minutes on foot to Byodo-in.
- •Buy the Phoenix Hall interior ticket (cash) before you explore the garden.
Best Time to Visit Uji
A weekday morning; spring and autumn weekends bring the longest waits for the Phoenix Hall interior.
- •Byodo-in opens at 8:45 a.m.; Phoenix Hall interior tickets are sold from 9:10 a.m., first come first served.
- •Spring and autumn weekends bring the longest waits for the interior, and tours shrink to 35 people from October 16, 2026.
- •Wisteria flowers from mid-April to early May; the maples turn from mid-November to early December.
Wisteria on the trellis by the Phoenix Hall pond, said to be about 280 years old, with flower clusters more than a meter long.
About 200 maples color the square before the main gate and the grounds around the Phoenix Hall.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥700 | ~$4.7 |
| Junior and senior high school student | ¥400 | ~$2.7 |
| Elementary school student | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| All visitors | ¥300 | ~$2 |
There is no garden-only ticket. Disability certificate holders and one companion pay half.
- •There is no re-entry to Byodo-in, except that Phoenix Hall ticket holders may step out and return before their tour. Eating and bringing in food are not allowed; drinks in sealed bottles are.
- •Photography is not allowed inside the Phoenix Hall, the Hoshokan or the stamp office. The Kannon-do stands behind barriers while work around it continues, and night viewings are suspended.
Two ways to spend a day in Uji
Both start at JR Uji or Keihan Uji.
Uji half day
About four hours.
8:45 a.m.
Byodo-in as it opens; buy the Phoenix Hall ticket first.
Mid-morning
The Phoenix Hall tour, then the Hoshokan.
Late morning
Tea on the approach, then across the river to Uji Shrine and Ujigami Shrine.
South-east day
A full day, with one change at Rokujizo.
Morning
Daigo-ji from 9:00 a.m.
Midday
Tozai Line to Rokujizo, then south to Uji.
Afternoon
Byodo-in; the last Phoenix Hall tour is at 4:10 p.m. and last entry to the garden 5:15 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
View references
Byodo-in
- Hours and admission (opens in a new tab)
- Visiting the interior of the Phoenix Hall (opens in a new tab)
- Phoenix Hall interior: capacity from October 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Phoenix Hall interior: summer arrangement 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)
- History (opens in a new tab)
Kyoto Prefectural Tourism Federation
Planning Your Kyoto Trip?
See the full Kyoto destination guide or browse Japan itineraries that include this city.
See all Nature & Scenic Spots across Japan →