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Main route Uji
I’d like to recommend you to come to Uji City that is promoting “ the city of Tales of Genji. In Uji there are a lot of villas built in Heian period, like Byodoin, temples and villas of Genji Cran. Tales of Genji written by Murasakishikibu, a court woman, condensed the flavor and sense of Uji in the Heian period in volumes called “ Ujijujo”.
Byodoin Temple is one of the few existing buildings from the Heian period. It’s a World Cultural Heritage. Uji River and “ the trail of strolling Tales of Genji Museum is also worth visiting.
You can find a tourist’s information center behind Byodoin Temple. At neighboring Taioan you can experience a tea- ceremony. Uji is accessible by the JR Line from Kyoto Station or the Keihan Line from Sanjo or Osaka. Taking a 2 hours stroll or staying overnight depends on your schedule. Nearby Uji is Kyo-tanabe City that has Ikkyuji Temple.
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Tale of Genji Walk:Visitors can stroll through the sites of Uji depicted in The Tale of Genji, the classical story recounting life in Japan’s Heian Period. The course takes you across Uji Bridge to Byodo-in Temple, Uji-jinja Shrine, Mimuroto-ji Temple and other historical sites in Uji. Along the way are monuments explaining the various chapters of the tale, i.e., Azumaya, Sawarabi, Agemaki, Ukifune, etc.
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Uji-Jujo Monument:Representing the various chapters of The Tale of Genji, the monument depicts Ukifune and Prince Niou, heroines of the tale, setting out in a small boat on the Uji River.
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Byodoin Temple
Byodo-in temple is a world Cultural Heritage and originally built as a villa for Fujiwara Michinaga, the most powerful aristrocrat of the Heian Era. His son, Fujiwara Norimichi, converted the villa to a temple and named it “Byodo-in” dedicated to the main image of “Dainichinyorai” (the Great Sun Buddha). Pictured on the back of ten-yen coin, the delicately proportioned Ho-o-do (phoenix hall) is often compared to a Phoenix just before flight.
Admission fee :Adult 400yen
Access:a 5-minute walk from Uji station Keihan Line or a 10-minute walk from Uji station JR Nara Line.
Ujigami Shrine
This shrine, which is a world cultural Heritage as well as Byodo-in Temple, is farmed for the oldest shrine building in Japan.
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Taiho-an Municipal teahouse
This is a tea-house standing in front of the Byodo-in Ho-o-do. You can experience full deliberation of the ceremony and informal one. Waitresses in kimono serve you ceremonial tea there.
Admission fee:Adult 500yen (a cup of tea and seasonal sweet)
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Mimurotoji Temple
This is well known as an old 8th century temple that keeps a statue of Buddha of the splender of the Fujiwara period in its Treasure hall. In addition, the temple is famous for the azalea and hyolrangea.
Admission fee:Adult 300yen
Access:Keihan Uji-line Minuroto station then a 15-minute walk