Half Day Trip to Uji from Kyoto - Japan's Matcha Capital without a tour

As part of 6 days in Kyoto, we took a day trip to Uji – Japan’s Matcha capital. Why Uji, when there are many other activities to do in and around Kyoto? If you like Matcha and Tea, it’s worth the experience - to be fair, We were on the fence between Uji and Nara for this day trip, and ultimately the rainy weather made Uji a nice choice as it offered a lot of indoor activities in tea rooms, tea shops, and cafes. Additionally the Byodo-in Temple adds some cultural interest to the trip and you can do it all in a half-day.

Getting There

We took the Kiahan metro line to Tofukuji Station, transferred to the JR Nara line, and got off at Uji Station (south of the city). From here, it’s a short walk to the riverfront area. There are things worth seeing on both sides of the river and several bridges, but the temple and most notable tea shops are on the south side of the river, So we took the train to the JR stop on that side to start.

🎯 Tip: Try to arrive around or after 10 AM, as many shops open around then.

Matcha Cafe: Nakamura Tokichi Byodo-in

Our first stop was Nakamura Tokichi Byodo-in – a matcha cafe with a lovely river view. They serve matcha in all major forms: tea, parfait, and ice cream. Seating is limited and a bit of a scramble, so the best approach is:

• One person gets in line to order
• Another waits near a table that looks like it’s about to free up

(Starbucks is nearby if you’re craving a more familiar coffee.)

Byodo-in Temple

Byodo-in is a beautiful temple set on a small island in a pond. Once inside, there’s a separate line if you want to enter the main temple hall (Pheonix hall):

• Small groups (~20 people) get a 15-minute talk about the temple and the large golden Buddha inside
• Alternative language handouts are available (we got the Japanese language tour with an english handout)
• Pro Tip: If you’re interested, book this first before exploring, because it is limited.

We had about an 80-minute wait, which gave us just enough time to explore the small but very nice museum nearby.

📸 Note: No photography inside and footwear must be removed.

The main hall - Phoenix Hall is from around 1053 as well as the golden Buddha inside - The Buddha is made of solid Japanese Cypress wood and covered in gold leaf. The talk inside explains the signifigance of the Budda as well as the relief carvings on the wall of the hall that are somewhat unique to this temple - some of which also appear in the Museum where you can examine them closer.

Strolling & Shopping

We walked through a few tea shops and picked up some matcha-related gifts on the way to and from the temple.

Lunch at Sabo Kunugi

After Byodo-in, we crossed the footbridge to the other side of the river and found a lunch spot: Sabo Kunugi.

• Walk-up, no reservations
• ~30-minute wait
• Has seating both with standard chairs and Japanse style (shoes off for both options though)

I tried the local specialty: Dam Curry – inspired by the nearby dam:

• Brown curry on one side
• Crispy tempura 🍤 on the other
• A rice “dam” dividing the two

It was some good dam curry! Best dam curry ever, Ha! Ha!

Heading Back

We walked back to the train station, since we were already on the north side of the river from lunch: there’s a closer station on the north side of the river that’s not included in the JR Pass, but it involves less walking if you end your day on that side of the river.

A great day trip full of tea, culture, and tasty food – even with the rain.