
Uji Bridge crosses a river long associated with transport, literature, and tea culture. Its position in central Uji links the town’s historic streets with the waterway, while a small viewing balcony preserves a traditional ceremonial association.
Guide preview
Uji Bridge connects two banks, but its story also joins several strands of Japanese culture. A bridge here is said to have been built in 646, placing it among Japan’s oldest bridge sites.
Continue exploring
Discover the full story
Keep reading with a travel pass and explore every full guide and tour.
UpgradeQuick facts
- The original bridge is said to date to 646.
- The Uji River served as a transportation junction.
- San-no-Ma is associated with tea-water drawing ceremonies.
More places in Kyoto

Adashino Nenbutsu-ji
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji is a Buddhist memorial site where thousands of stone markers honor the dead. Its quiet bamboo grove and memorial grounds ask visitors to approach the place with care, recognizing it as a site of prayer and remembrance.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a narrow path through tall bamboo on Kyoto’s western edge. Its striking vertical lines make a small walk feel enclosed, while the grove belongs to a wider landscape of wooded hills and historic sites.

Byodo-in
Byodo-in’s Phoenix Hall appears to float above its pond, its wings reflected in the water. The temple’s garden was shaped to evoke the Buddhist Pure Land, making architecture and landscape part of a carefully composed religious image.

Chion-in
Chion-in’s monumental Sanmon gate frames entry to the head temple of Pure Land Buddhism. Built in 1621, the two-story timber structure is both an architectural landmark and a threshold into grounds associated with teacher Honen.

Daigo-ji
Daigo-ji stretches from a lower temple precinct up the slopes of Mount Daigo. Its pagoda, gardens, and mountain paths reflect how a Buddhist temple can encompass both built architecture and a much larger sacred landscape.

Daisen-in
Daisen-in is a small subtemple within Daitoku-ji, known for its dry landscape garden and historic abbot’s quarters. Its compact design uses stones, gravel, and carefully ordered views to suggest a wider journey through nature.