Uji City, located just south of Kyoto City, is renowned for its high quality Japanese tea, especially Uji matcha. It has maintained its reputation for centuries. It has not only cultivated tea but also fostered a culture of tea drinking, and developed various activities for visitors to experience and understand tea. Visit Uji and enjoy some of them to share in the joy of tea.
It’s only about a 20-minute train ride from Kyoto Station. Uji is home to two World Heritage sites, Byodoin Temple and Ujikami Shrine, along with many other examples of traditional architecture. Bridges across the Uji River offer a quintessential Japanese scene, and the surrounding mountains are beautiful, too. The atmosphere is similar to that of Kyoto City, but Uji is smaller and less crowded. All the following five activities can be experienced in the heart of Uji City, within a 15-minute walk from Keihan Uji Station (or JR Uji Station as well). Each of them will invite you to the profound world of Uji tea.
Chazuna is a fun place opened in 2021, where you can experience and learn about the tea, history, and culture of Uji. It’s where you should go first, find what you really want to do in Uji, and plan your day.
They offer various activities including tea leaf grinding and matcha green tea making. Among them, tea canister decorating is one of the unique experiences.
First, choose one from 30 designs of washi (high-quality traditional Japanese paper), ranging from classic to modern styles. The back of the washi paper is coated with adhesive, so all you have to do is stick it on. When applying it to the steel can, pull the paper as taut as possible to avoid air bubbles. It may seem easy at first glance, but it’s not as simple as it looks. Doing it with a partner while laughing makes it more enjoyable.
Such an airtight container is essential because moisture and light deteriorate the quality of green tea. It makes an excellent souvenir as it can also be used to store dried foods such as nuts or coffee beans, and small items like jewelry or buttons. It serves as a decoration when placed in a room as well.
Chazuna also has a digital map on touch screens that introduces the highlights of Uji. This information can be downloaded to your smartphone. There is also a restaurant and a gift shop. From the observation terrace on the second floor, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the town, Uji River, and Chazuna’s own tea plantation.
The museum in Chazuna is exciting, too. It introduces tea manufacturing processes, ingenuities and techniques in tea cultivation, the history of Uji, local sightseeing spots, and more. You can see traditional tea-making tools, and enjoy many exhibits with English explanations, including informative videos. A fun photo-taking corner will let you download the photos to your smartphone. This museum is worth a visit. (It requires an entrance fee.)
Open: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm (Museum’s last admission: 4:30pm)
Address: 203-1 Todo Maruyama, Uji City, Kyoto
Access: 4 min. on foot from Keihan Uji Station, 12 min. on foot from JR Uji Station
Website (experience prograｍ page): https:uji-chazuna.kyoto/event
Historical Park of Tea and Uji Land (Chazuna)
If you want to learn about Uji tea and the history and culture of Uji, this is the perfect place to start.
With the rich history of Uji, the park is located among several historical sites, including …
Uji City Municipal Tea Ceremony House, Taiho-an, has tranquil chashitsu (tea rooms), where you can experience traditional Japanese tea ceremonies in a relaxing atmosphere.
“Relaxing” is important especially for beginners, as each step of preparing tea is highly formalized, and the way you drink it has etiquette, which may make you nervous. Here, there’s nothing to worry about; the friendly staff will teach you the proper etiquette if you’d like.
When you have matcha, turn the tea bowl a couple of times before drinking. This is to avoid putting your mouth to the front of the bowl, where the design is often painted. After finishing your matcha, wipe the rim of the bowl with your fingers, and turn it back to its original position.
More than just drinking, tea ceremonies are rich experiences. Learning about some elements in the room, such as the kakejiku (hanging scroll), traditional flower arrangement, your bowl and sweet, offers a glimpse into the Japanese spirit: appreciation for the changing seasons and the heart of hospitality. These are the essence of Japanese tea ceremonies.
At Taiho-an, you can typically enjoy the tea ceremony experience with matcha and a traditional Japanese sweet, and on several days each month, sencha (green tea that you brew, not whisk to prepare), not matcha, is offered. The sencha tea ceremony has a different appeal than matcha, and it is also interesting.
While you can simply enjoy tea and sweets, consider making a reservation for one of the tea ceremonies for a richer cultural experience. Watch the elegance of movements refined centuries ago, understand their purpose, and explore the world of tea more deeply.
Furthermore, what you learn from the tea ceremonies extends beyond the tea room. For example, slightly opening your elbows when holding a tea bowl can change your posture, demeanor, and confidence.
Open: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Closed: Decemebr 21 – January 9
Address: 1-5 Togawa, Uji, Uji City, Kyoto
Access: 10 min. on foot from Keihan Uji Station, 15 min. on foot from JR Uji Station
Website: https://www.kyoto-uji-kankou.or.jp/taihoan-en.html
Learn the Etiquette of Japanese Tea Ceremonies (at Taiho-an)
At Uji City Municipal Tea Ceremony House, Taiho-an, you can experience authentic Uji tea accompanied by a seasonal Japanese sweet. If you don’t know anything about Japanese tea ceremonies, there’s no …
