I wake up to a rainy morning in Kyoto. It's bed weather, but I didn't come here to sleep, did I? I get my butt off the bed and prepare for a day in Uji City, just a 20-minute train ride from Kyoto City. Why Uji? Because it has two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Byodo-in and Ujigami Jinja. And because I like matcha.
I arrive in JR Uji Station hungry. It's still raining. I haven't had breakfast yet. From the station I take a left and spot a convenience store, but there are no tables inside. I am not sure if the plastic tables outside, off to the left of the convenience store, are for convenience store customers, but I eat my boxed meal there anyway.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzbdiBzsitOo-w8ym3DgjSI8FcTvKDFm3T0aEno_aQ-_uHH1KgPbAUTjZytUQpLcX5W7lFJT2eFylggn6cXIKSzFcAMo8jQYucBdbasDr2Hybd_ewei6KSsIbrTjOSvR1irmjx_Ntvi8/s400/IMG_20161127_172953.jpg)
Uji City's manhole cover
I study Google map and plot my route to Byodo-in. As I follow my chosen route, I find that it is through small roads in residential areas. I like it. It is quiet and peaceful. I take a few snapshots and just enjoy my surroundings, eventhough my shoes and socks are already soaking wet.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h-e2SgbFdJJrhOKQb4pKYeAsbRvd4E1AMeiWC3_6J-4aIheEdN5Hf1hiAMB0yRBJGStSDArnD0-nwM1G0RDaGYruAVGApC50Tx2628XYGuwv4yhPqBLnW6O6jxsCenAPaxSLG2n9Da8/s400/IMG_20161127_173402.jpg)
Through a residential area
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平等院
Garden 830AM to 530PM
Byodo-in Museum 9AM to 5PM
Phoenix Hall 930AM to 410PM (admission is every 20 minutes)
Admission fees:
Garden and Byodo-in Museum 600 yen
Phoenix Hall 300 yen
Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall was built in 1053. This building I have seen before...on a 10 yen coin. And now it is in front of me and I struggle to take a photo—it is difficult to operate a camera with two hands whilst keeping an umbrella steady between my cheek and my shoulder.
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Phoenix Hall
Inside the Phoenix Hall are Buddhist art that one can see for oneself by paying an additional 300 yen. I forgo this—only a maximum of 50 persons every 20 minutes is allowed inside and the waiting time now is 40 minutes—and proceed to the Hoshokan (Byodo-in Museum)...very slowly. For along the way are trees in fall's beautiful hues.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoK6v6n1WDTZ4-QQgQg0SntMsruInRnWItXz1ZV5qZj1Q5vysB6puROqfk5FwcGAx_8TVJNrSEwH46LJy3ptRo5QXuOGbHTF60CC7yv4ej4h5BQaF2yH8-6mC5pZOYQ6sOpXZKLWak4A/s640/xDSCF1940.jpg)
I enter the Hoshokan to check out what's inside since this is included in the 600 yen admission fee I had paid for. (But, to be honest, it's so I could take shelter from the rain!) Inside the museum are many Buddhist statues, ancient roof tiles, a temple bell, and other important cultural assets.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0SXWqlen8c6h8NQm6z1Q1vlKa9pGh4hArV2TA3wrzgpjgF4lZkCgLsE4Q2CYAW0yvEzcOScN8dZQ-MI1TkMhxs2oTkWs5Sxq4jk7YSwteohrVVO1RHhHLvDo2r8KPtK0NiZQU2sJFYU/s640/xDSCF1954.jpg)
The view from Hoshokan
Before leaving the Byodo-in temple grounds, I check out the smaller buildings and sub-temples, too.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwzC3MTKpQbePMGZ0AT6DHelgEfwXeVtjdWeiHE9HCQONrY1cpei3GlaNhXNvQtq281Oz3cKMMGTQTHnzuvehtaqE1eXlX9KFZf2Mn7-OyrcjjJ7v8Rj_pv0lUpSHYJ_qNaoUXyrJq4Q/s640/xDSCF1958.jpg)
Jodo-in
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Rakan-do Hall
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkdpelwQaX6ETVqC8shM-z62DJuhzb8N6qCGUY4Rm8DJq-z-8Wf3_uXENq4Pfj3Ok2MkkoVC_-x25M-vEMt0DjG8ZuP-Wwjcd2G0kQB204yFy0d10LxX4NmS4WRiVed1fNZu-B6Pwu_E/s640/xDSCF1969.jpg)
Uji River
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlE3S5f9b846ztxSMqT0x8-eypHIVeq8T7aDTfRZq3L__JPhIS6MjtO2aI0C8lwf962JzQZ9ayyBQ2TY70j30SYaGpFQn5O85f9p9UqMm7QJkyNElZ4-3nyHy9NM9ien6-Xw07_gxMzk/s640/xDSCF1974.jpg)
宇治神社
9AM to 430PM
In front of Uji Jinja is a chinowa, a large, round ring made of reeds. A chinowa is where worshippers pass through as an act of purification, but I do not see this in action as all the worshippers are inside the shrine where a ceremony is going on.
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCA5JnacTP7E-A2HzwpAhczfxz4bO0PE-hxZGsxU_tnQwG3ZR2r_Em1AF2HKsNfkbT_XvDzjuzL3hcd_NpaDvdVfgi3-C5N933hcKiPxtdwC85FlIGiV2y7qdR-oDVaAFFSyBN2Hk-9w/s640/xDSCF1989.jpg)
Chinowa
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDLKzGsFHRkAdYPuVQQQl5v5mAeC7HTX9o54PvSIiStE97aMsOerEsWUOwRdX1xdAeP6H6AY7EQv-wBsvJLmGAiJlYhowrSx78DzyNv7kVTD0SxM0bB6DjnQPjDiOGccl3tkGOQ-vUAI/s640/xDSCF1993.jpg)
Uji Jinja
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H6Bvrt_U2OXozTzGOjp7TOgotit38m85_CJyQho2yp7k8MtPvH8N9ADGrcrGu6_qpSwE-TMH0Hl-g0O5nLheTgb_MdEN3prr2rhyphenhypheniDAICLI7OshbYrxqPUZAeQrMoWxjIU1BEHtHTvQ/s640/xDSCF1990.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrTEzeswY76DYz1YUQWTSSmUNGhZY8RVqleN9X8TBLbSV28BVBC1fyxWeuwAnCyZcDH7460i0kUmyNraP7U_6y8wsutHHIHtVkDVYHHOT2PHAFypNTdQdYcR4P255Rujj2pbCx3t5oxk/s640/IMG_20161127_174625.jpg)
A little boy in traditional garb
Ujigami Jinja
宇治上神社
9AM to 430PM
A short slightly uphill walk from Uji Jinja is Ujigami Jinja (or upper Uji Shrine). Ujigami Jinja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is estimated to have been built in 1060. Looking at the shrine from the side, I can see that the roof is asymmetrical and that the front one is more curved and extended.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRJmiyuCT4zeHEaLIgVd9HLsNzYeHwdTLhzpy4K6ajUjSTvPmyaBPKs0AZFry8RFt68vsPJH245gsm5uEhWY4qil3eCX3XDgPjcAivdkMAMeqBGsCi5GjByb74imxsFw3QoQ7wrivBRM/s640/xDSCF2016.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJQdTuC39D0Oo2aDU0tekTxNkTH9ZQL-Sp2ia-AbS0fvAuuyRf8XnAXHagQi7D_LxVyKJjty9pYxS-r8wB-KPv_Mt5EMcy2rx-_2G2fLbQK0nW4i9Dsv9jVYyJFHIc6TwbxpEvM-rhk0/s640/xDSCF2018.jpg)
After visiting the two shrines, I go back across the river where I had seen a street lined with shops and restaurants. A visit to Uji, home of the Uji matcha, would not be complete without trying matcha flavored stuff.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4sQCdztHmtzyC77JUzgkZ8BrqE6BGZMUzOgqmySeddvtJ-Be593sDpR60Q9f1K4TG3B-2SMee3hObHraCgh_Fqh3MbYO7gKVvZXue2mAT2ynE0Hj7SAiQPLeW3KTrw5nM__C0gWPVXU/s400/IMG_20161127_175212.jpg)
I stop at the first restaurant I see. I can't read its signboard—扇家—nor the labels (except the price) on the display of plastic food samples, but I am sure the green noodles are matcha flavored noodles.
The name of the restaurant is 扇家 (read Ogi-ka according to Google translate)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULnzXD4dpup-DhL0uBi6kY7ODumkn7JU9d6Sw8ydOceB3iph8CxjYUZtI0R_OEvSpnuXajecpKz7goNfv7JgF6xXi3uWJAxCdawAo-DesvR24lytOuvVd5TORt9xgd7n4ZaafmMdKfaU/s640/xDSCF2048.jpg)
扇家's shokuhin sampuru (plastic food samples)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg2K9d8-tzvhYP8xAIMe7hC-DVD7TOPrO4c1YQbGdoWaWCv8-YJIpelJOFlkYLWikPJkS3aB2mLnJk8m-ThBZIsydMWTHorkI5t7J1m4T0PHHRbJ3HDqx649ESXs5fO20EuFEJcJ3-lo/s400/IMG_20161127_113409.jpg)
Green tea soba
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGplvV-F53dWiTBxSmzptWJQyH9HuzR4ScY4-QLiwACPd-JA2uduOGE1IEwgZurn7mDxn-E_kaVP3OAtu5GqIyRn7GSzOv-_Tgw2ipvnu59YBx1YWX_mrZ9omLnpFn6P9qWXK-NbJftk/s400/IMG_20161127_115553.jpg)
Green tea soft serve ice cream
This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.
Japan
Know Before You Go
Single Entry Tourist Visa for Japan
Roam Around Japan with a Swagger
An Ignoramus in Japan: Vending Machines
An Ignoramus in Japan: Bathrooms and Toilets
An Ignoramus in Japan: Manhole Covers
I Spy With My Little Eye: Japan's Fashion Contradictions
I Spy With My Little Eye: On the Go in Japan
Kansai Diaries (2016)
9D/9N | Wakayama, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kansai Region
Osaka: Day 0: Arrival
Osaka Accommodations: Hotel Raizan, Hotel Mikado
Wakayama: Day 1: Going to, Sleeping in, and Eating in Koyasan
Wakayama: Day 1.5: West Side of Koya Town
Wakayama: Koyasan Sidewalk Shorts
Wakayama: Days 1.75~2: Okunoin, Three Times
Nara: Sleep, Eat, and Explore Nara City
Nara: Day 3: Horyuji, Hokkiji, and some Japanecdotes in Ikaruga Town
Nara: Day 3.5: Yakushiji, Toshodaiji, and Heijo Palace Site in Nara City
Nara: Day 4: Early Morning at Nara Park
Nara: Day 4.25: Naramachi Walking Tour
Nara: Day 4.5: Yoshiki-en, Todaiji, and Kofukuji in Nara Park
Kyoto Accommodations: Guesthouse Wind Villa, Shiori Yado
Kyoto: Day 5: Rainy Day in Uji City (you're here!)
Kyoto: Day 5.5: Tofukuji, Kawai Jinja, Shimogamo Jinja
Kyoto: Day 6: Ginkakuji, Ryoanji, Ninnaji
Kyoto: Day 6.75: Gion Night Walking Tour
Kyoto: Day 7: All Day in Arashiyama
Kyoto: Day 8: Last Day in Kyoto
Osaka: Day 8.75: Dizzying Dotonbori
Osaka: Day 9: Osaka, Over and Out
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