Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
scene of many bitter clashes in previous centuries, although traffic jams seem to predom-
inate nowadays.
If you've exhausted the sights in the main part of Kyoto and feel like a pleasant half-
day trip out of town, Uji is a decent choice.
Uji can be easily reached by rail from Kyoto on the Keihan Uji line (¥320, 30 minutes)
from Sanjō Station (change at Chūshojima) or the JR Nara line (¥230, 20 minutes) from
Kyoto Station.
| TEMPLE
BYŌDŌ-IN
( 0774-21-2861; 116 Uji renge, Uji-shi; admission ¥600; 8.30am-5.30pm; 15min walk from Keihan Uji
Station, Keihan Uji line, 10min walk from Uji Station, JR Nara line)
If you happen to have a ¥10 coin in
your pocket, dig it out now and have a look at it. The building depicted on the coin is the
main hall of this pretty temple in the centre of Uji. Overlooking a serene pond, the hall is
one of the loveliest Buddhist structures in Japan.
This temple was converted from a Fujiwara villa into a Buddhist temple in 1052. The
Hōō-dō
(Phoenix Hall), the main hall of the temple, was built in 1053 and is the only ori-
ginal building remaining. The phoenix used to be a popular mythical bird in China and
was revered by the Japanese as a protector of Buddha. The architecture of the building re-
sembles the shape of the bird and there are two bronze phoenixes perched opposite each
other on the roof.
The Hōō-dō was originally intended to represent Amida's heavenly palace in the Pure
Land. This building is one of the few extant examples of Heian-period architecture, and
its graceful lines make you wish that far more had survived the wars and fires that have
plagued Kyoto's past. Inside the hall is the famous statue of Amida Buddha and 52
bosatsu
(Bodhisattvas) dating from the 11th century and attributed to the priest-sculptor
Jōchō.
Nearby, the
Hōmotsukan Treasure House
(admission ¥300; 9am-4pm 1 Apr-31 May & 15
Sep-23 Nov)
contains the original temple bell and door paintings and the original phoenix
roof adornments. Allow about an hour to wander through the grounds.
To get to Byōdō-in from Keihan Uji Station, cross the river on the bridge right outside
the station; immediately after crossing the bridge, take a left past a public toilet (don't take
the street with the large stone
torii
, or shrine gate), and continue straight through the park.
| SHRINE
UJIGAMI-JINJA
