Uji, Kyoto

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, **Uji** and Otsu Cities)**¹
**UNESCO World Heritage Site**

State Party	Japan
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Identification	#688
Region²	Asia-Pacific
Inscription History
Formal Inscription:	1994 18th WH Committee Session
WH link:	http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/688
1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List 2 As classified officially by UNESCO

Uji (Japanese: 宇治市, Uji-shi) is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

The city sits on the Uji River (Uji-gawa), which has its source in Lake Biwa (Biwa-ko). In the 4th century the son of Emperor Ōjin established a palace in Uji.

Uji is famous in Japan for a number of reasons:

it is the home of Byōdōin (with its Amida Hall or Phoenix Hall), built in 1053;
it is the site of the Battle of Uji-gawa;
it boasts an abundance of Shinto and Buddhist temples, all clustered about the centre of the town, including the Kosho-ji Zen temple, constructed in 1648, with its famous Kotozaka slope entrance (framed with dense thickets of cherry, kerria, azalea, and maple trees, each of which dramatically change colour with the seasons). Another famous temple is Mampuku-ji, the head temple of the Ōbaku Zen sect, built in Chinese Ming style in 1661. Mimurodo-ji is famous for its abundance of purple hydrangeas, which are now available for viewing at night. Uji also is home to the Ujigami Shrine, one of the sites listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto";
it is the source of "Uji Tea", a form of very high quality Japanese tea. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408) promoted cultivation of green tea in the Uji area, and since that time Uji has been an important production and distribution centre of superior quality green tea (including Tsuen tea, served since 1160 and sold in what is the oldest tea shop in Japan, and possibly the world--the Tsuen tea shop).
the final chapters of the Tale of Genji are set there, attracting visiting literature buffs from all over the world.

The city was founded on March 1, 1951. As of 2003, Uji has an estimated population of 188,660, making it the largest city in Kyoto Prefecture apart from the city of Kyoto. Uji has an area of 67.55 km², giving it a density of 2,793 persons per km².

Uji as an area gained notoriety for its position between the two ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. It is conveniently located between both cities.

The Keihan Uji Line and the JR Nara Line serve Uji.