投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Koishidani Shrine

Koishidani Shrine is dedicated to Koishidanihime, who is said to have been a sobame (spouse who is not the primary wife) of Emperor Go-Daigo. The shrine is believed to have a power to grant wishes for love, childbirth, safe delivery, and so on. Some young women come from afar to pray at the shrine for a successful romantic relationship.
They say that if you walk across Koiji Bridge to the shrine, your wish is more likely to come true. After crossing the bridge over Kizu River and ascending a slope, you'll come across a torii (traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at a shrine). Pass through it and walk forward, and you'll find stone stairs. When you reach the top of the stairs, you’ll see Tenmangu Shrine on the right, and Koishidani Shrine on the left.
In front of the main sanctuary of Koishidani Shrine, you can find heart-shaped stones. In the old days, people would go to the river, pick up flat stones, wash them, and offer them to the deity of the shrine. Some of the stones are naturally heart-shaped. (Do not bring them home.) There is also a large heart-shaped stone buried in the shrine. If you visit, be sure to look for it.
And what is interesting is that you can get this shrine's amulets only on 3 days of the year: April 2nd and September 2nd (annual festival days), and October 21st (the annual festival day of Tenmangu Shrine). (Perhaps, you might get them on other days as well, if you are lucky enough to find someone at the shrine office.)

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Tayama Tsurugi Tea Plantation

Minamiyamashiro Village is Kyoto's only village. It’s renowned for its beautiful scenery and as one of the major production areas of Uji tea. Approximately 80% of the village is mountainous, with elevations ranging from 300 to 600 meters. This unique topography led to the development of the slopes for tea cultivation.
The Tayama Tsurugi Tea Plantation extends over a large area. Recognized as a part of the Japan Heritage, it presents a culturally significant landscape.
A distinctive feature of this plantation is its tate-une (vertical ridges) that create the impression of tea rows soaring up into the sky. The beautifully aligned ridges form the wonderful landscape like a huge work of art. Actually, this design serves a practical purpose: it allows for efficient tea leaf harvesting using powered clippers or riding-type tea leaf pickers. It also facilitates airflow from the fans installed throughout the plantation to protect the tea leaves from frost damage.
This characteristic landscape offers a glimpse into the interplay between the history of modern Uji tea production, and this area's unique environment and cultivation practices.
As a side note, the village has several cycling routes. Enjoy the village's landscapes and natural scenery. Tayama Tsurugi Tea Plantation is located near Takayama Dam. (The tea plantations are private property. Please do not enter them.)

投稿タイプ：column

What’s on? A Calendar of Traditional Events in Kyoto Prefecture

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Yawata: The Incredible Kyoto-Osaka Stopover You’re Missing

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[Rent a Car and Explore the Southern Part of Kyoto 2] Find hidden Kyoto spots: temples, shrines, nature, and delicious food!

投稿タイプ：pamphlets

Discover your own KYOTO

投稿タイプ：stay

Matsumoto-tei Ryokan Dining

This long-standing ryokan (traditional inn) with pheasant cuisine has been in business for more than 100 years since its founding in 1890 on Mt. Kasagi, between Kyoto and Nara. Mt. Kasagi is surrounded by historical locations and scenic spots, and Matsumoto-tei offers a family-like hospitality here.
Matsumoto-tei proudly serves its famous, carefully-prepared pheasant dishes, including stone-baked dishes, hot pot, sashimi, and more.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Hands-on Activities at “Ujicha Kobo” of Fukujuen Uji Kobo

Fukujuen Uji Kobo offers comprehensive tea experiences on both banks of Uji River, with Ujicha Kobo on the right and Ujicha Tei on the left.
At Ujicha Kobo, there are various hands-on activities, such as making tea through a process including rolling, loosening, and kneading tea leaves. You can dry tea leaves on a ceramic plate, try making matcha green tea by grinding the tea leaves with a traditional stone mill, creating Asahiyaki pottery or painting it. Moreover, you can learn the etiquette of the tea ceremony of matcha and sencha (Japanese green tea that you brew, not whisk like matcha) in a tranquil tea-ceremony room. At the Museum and the Tea Garden area, you can visually experience the beauty of the culture of Uji tea, too.
When you get hungry, visit their cafeteria. They have various sweets and dishes made with Uji tea. You can brew and enjoy your own tea, too.
After exploring the world of Uji tea through multi-sensory experiences, visit the shop to find gifts for yourself and your loved ones, like high-quality tea, sweets made with tea, teaware including Asahiyaki pottery, and more.
(At the Ujicha Tei, you can enjoy eating, drinking and shopping, too.)

投稿タイプ：restaurants

d:matcha Kyoto CAFE & KITCHEN

d:matcha Kyoto CAFE & KITCHEN is a café where you can enjoy food, sweets, and drinks made using tea from the town of Wazuka. Though the ingredients are not limited only to tea, they are as locally-sourced as possible. The unique menu can only be found here, and includes savory food items made with tea, too. In the store, there are sweets made from tea leaves for sale. From the back of the store, you can overlook the beautiful tea fields of Mt. Kamazuka, a view that's perfect for a break from driving or cycling.

In addition to food, there is also a tea field hiking and tea harvesting tour that goes around the spectacular tea plantations.

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Rent a Car and Explore the Southern Part of Kyoto! Go on a One-Day Road Trip Around Kyoto Tea Country!

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Discover Unique Sake Breweries Across Kyoto

投稿タイプ：restaurants

Wazukacha Cafe

In the center of town visitors will find the Wazaukacha Cafe, near the Wazuka Yamanoie bus stop. This facility doubles as an inviting cafe and a visitors center, providing sightseeing maps and information for travelers. They also have a shop selling local goods and over four hundred tea items. This is a great spot to pick up some single origin Wazuka tea, allowing you to savor the rich taste of an individual farm instead of a typical mass-produced blend from multiple fields. Rental bikes are available for 1,100 yen per day. Breezing through the hillside scenery is enjoyable in any season.