Uji River travel guides

Season-by-season guide to Uji's cherry blossom, wisteria, 10,000 hydrangeas, cormorant fishing, and autumn maples — with a month-by-month crowd table for 2026 planning.

Walk the Tale of Genji Trail in Uji: chapter monument stones along Sawarabi-no-michi, the Genji Museum, and the Murasaki Shikibu statue at Uji Bridge. A gentle 1–2 hour east-bank literary walk.

Discover the 9 best things to do in Uji in 2026, from Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall and matcha tea houses to Ujigami Shrine and the Uji River, with prices, hours, and transit tips.

Ujigami Shrine holds Japan's oldest extant Shinto shrine building (c. 1060), is free to enter, and takes just 15–20 minutes. Here's what to see, how to get there, and how to fit it into your 2026 Uji visit.

Cross Uji Bridge (Ujibashi) — first built in 646 CE and counted among Japan's three most celebrated ancient bridges — spanning the Uji River between Byōdō-in and Ujigami Shrine. Free, open 24/7.