At least these are why I take a three-day detour to the small city south of Kyoto during a trip to Japan in November 2024.
I indulge in a ryokan stay and plan nothing more than a stop at Nakamura Tokichi Honten, famed for its matcha desserts, and a pilgrimage to the Nintendo Museum, which opened in October 2024.
Most travellers prefer a day trip to the city known for producing the finest matcha, or powdered green tea, in the world. After all, Uji is just 30 minutes from Kyoto on the JR Nara line.
Like its more glamorous neighbour, Uji has a long, cultured history. The area has been a rural getaway for Japanese aristocracy since the fifth century, and 11th-century author Murasaki Shikibu famously set the final chapters of Japanese literary classic The Tale Of Genji in Uji.
The Japanese city turns out to be an underrated charmer with its off-the-beaten-path location and quirky attractions.
Matcha must-dos
Tea has been cultivated in the area since the 13th century, so Uji boasts a number of centuries-old tea establishments. They include the main store of Nakamura Tokichi Honten (str.sg/GtNS), which has become an attraction for matcha lovers.
My lack of research leads to a rookie mistake at the popular cafe that serves savoury and sweet matcha dishes, including green tea soba. Other branches of the teahouse are located in Kyoto and Tokyo, but the flagship store is in Uji and serves coveted daily specials.
I visit Nakamura on my first day, popping in after 2pm. There are 80 parties ahead of me in the electronic queue for a table. It takes two hours before I get in.
The house special (1,340 yen or S$12) – a trifle concoction of matcha flavours with fluffy sponge cake, tiny mochi balls and soft jelly coddled in dreamy matcha cream dusted with matcha powder – is worth the wait, even though the caffeine overdose later keeps me up till 4am.
The house special, Maruto Parfait, at Nakamura Tokichi Honten. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
The trick is to hit Nakamura as soon as it opens at 10am, so you can grab a table for lunch. The electronic system allows you to track the queue, so once you have a number, you can explore the neighbourhood full of charming little cafes and boutique retail shops.
Besides Nakamura, which is 171 years old, there are three other must-visit tea establishments.
I book a matcha-milling workshop at Fukujuen Uji Kobo (10, Uji Yamada, Uji, Kyoto, Asagiribashi Bridge), which was established in 1790 and boasts small but informative green tea displays, complete with antique tea-processing machines.
The 40-minute session (1,650 yen a person) is a mini-workout. I am stationed in front of a small stone mill and grind the green tea leaves by slowly and steadily turning its handle.
The writer milling matcha at Fujikuen Uji Kobo. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
There are no English-language sessions, but the activity is straightforward enough for me to muddle my way through even without knowing Japanese.
After milling the matcha, I get to make it two ways – as koicha (thick tea) and usucha (thin tea). I plump for a 330 yen top-up of vanilla ice cream for an affogato-style drink, but regret it as the ice cream tastes like a mediocre supermarket variety that fails to hold its own next to the delicious matcha.
Products on display at Itohkyuemon Uji Honten. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
Itohkyuemon Uji Honten (19-3 Aramaki Todo, Uji 611-0013 Kyoto Prefecture), established in 1830, is less polished than the chic Nakamura and more retail-oriented than Fukujuen. Its omiyage (souvenir) shop is crammed with everything from matcha castella and matcha puddings to matcha prawn crackers – which are weirdly tasty – and bags of tea.
But the undisputed grand dame of tea shops is Tsuen Tea Shop (Higashiuchi-1 Uji, Kyoto 611-0021), which clocks in at 865 years old.
This tiny shop is more of a curiosity, thanks to its age, although it does sell teas and has a small cafe next door. The cramped interior – four people easily fill the shop space – makes it a tad claustrophobic.
Cultural capital
Byodoin Temple, which is featured on the one-yen coin. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
Uji’s cultural capital is embodied in two things: the magnificent Byodoin Temple, built in 1053, and The Tale Of Genji, the last nine chapters of which are set in the city.
The temple (Renge-116 Uji, Kyoto 611-0021; admission: 700 yen an adult) is the only place I visit that is crowded with tourists. Even then, domestic visitors outnumber foreigners.
Having visited multiple photogenic Japanese temples over the years, I can safely say Byodoin gives Kyoto’s iconic Kinkaku-ji a good run for its money.
The low-slung museum tucked discreetly underground is a marvel of modern minimalism. Its monochrome aesthetic provides the perfect backdrop for the Buddhist artefacts on display.
What is most startling about Byodoin are the colourful motifs decorating the roof and pillars of the famed Phoenix Hall (additional 300 yen admission fee). The Chinese motifs and bright red, pink, green and blue hues of the decor that recall Indian colour schemes are mashed up in a manner that this Singaporean instantly associates with Peranakan aesthetics.
Buddhism arrived in Japan in the sixth century from India via China, and it is evident from Byodoin that in the Heian era, Japan was beginning to synthesise these varied religious and aesthetic influences in a uniquely Japanese fashion.
While the Phoenix Hall’s gold Amida Buddha statue is the star attraction, the smaller series of 52 Praying Bodhisattvas On Clouds is, to me, the more astonishing work.
Re-creations of these can be seen in the museum, which allows visitors to get up close to the ornate carvings. Each bodhisattva is depicted in a different posture and equipped with different props, including intricately detailed musical instruments.
A statue of Shikibu Murasaki. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
The Heian period also saw the flowering of literary culture, the pinnacle of which is Murasaki’s The Tale Of Genji. There is a statue of the author by the river, and I stumble on a small museum dedicated to her book while wandering around the town.
The chief attraction at The Tale Of Genji Museum (45-26 Uji Higashiuchi, Uji City; admission: 500 yen an adult; go to str.sg/9bVK) is the tiny auditorium. Two anime short films, inspired by the book and commissioned for the museum, alternate every half hour.
The modest museum has a few tableaus created from the book’s Uji scenes and the free English audio guide is helpful in introducing visitors to Murasaki’s aristocratic world.
Games galore
Visitors interacting with a game at the new Nintendo Museum, located in a renovated old factory, in the suburbs of Kyoto. PHOTO: AFP
It takes effort to get into the Nintendo Museum (Kaguraden-56 Oguracho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0042).
First, you need to register for tickets (3,300 yen an adult, 2,200 yen for youth aged 12 to 17, 1,100 yen for children aged six to 11, free for children aged zero to five) three months before your visit. Yes – three months.
To do so, you have to create an account on the museum website at str.sg/gH6u for a ballot. Choose three preferred dates for your visit, and the lottery will be held on the first day of the following month.
There are timed entries throughout the day, but visitors cannot choose their time slot.
If you get an afternoon slot, like I do, my advice is to prioritise your interests. If you are a hardcore geek, the museum’s second floor has a staggering array of artefacts tracking the company’s history, from its founding in 1889 as a maker of Japanese card games through to the 20th century as a pioneer in video games.
Visitors on an interactive display of the traditional Japanese card game, Hyakunin Isshu, at the Nintendo Museum. PHOTO: AFP
If you are a kid at heart, save your time for the first floor, where the games are located.
The company has cannily built oversized versions of its popular Wii games, so you can play an ice cream-stacking game with a life-sized Wii controller, a shooting gallery game or a motion-activated version of the handheld Game & Watch.
Pay for games with coins – your personalised entry ticket comes pre-loaded with 10 coins and you cannot buy more.
The Big Controller (two coins) and Zapper & Scope (four coins) attract the longest queues – anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes – so factor that into your schedule.
Surprisingly, the game I have the most fun with has no queue. The Love Tester SP (two coins) requires two players to hold hands and cooperate in tasks such as catching falling blossoms in a basket and dodging aliens.
I also sign up for the Hanafuda workshop (2,000 yen) to make playing cards. But in hindsight, I would rather have spent more time in the heritage gallery. It makes for a packed afternoon and I would revisit the museum in a heartbeat.
Getting there
Multiple airlines – including Scoot, Singapore Airlines and Peach Aviation – operate non-stop flights from Singapore to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. From there, it takes around 90 minutes to Kyoto by train.
Uji is most easily accessed from Kyoto. There are train services every 15 minutes on the JR Nara line from Kyoto to Uji. The rapid services will get you to Uji in 20 minutes, while the local services take 30 minutes. Tickets cost between 240 and 350 yen.
Where to stay
A traditional room at the Kyoto Uji Hanayashiki Ukifune-en. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
I stay at the Kyoto Uji Hanayashiki Ukifune-en (str.sg/9Na8), a ryokan located on the quieter side of town. The Japanese-style room ($210 a night) is clean and roomy, with a small balcony that offers a stunning view of the river.
The view from the Kyoto Uji Hanayashiki Ukifune-En ryokan. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
The ryokan is about a 20-minute walk from Uji station, and there are few food and beverage options nearby.
The hotel has an in-house restaurant that serves washoku cuisine (traditional Japanese food), but you need to book it at least three days in advance. Breakfast ($22 a person), too, must be booked at least a day in advance, an indication of the modest scale of this 28-room hotel.
Breakfast at the ryokan. ST PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
But this rusticity is part of its charm. I have the onsen baths to myself for the two evenings I stay there and the still atmosphere is akin to a trip back in time.
Ong Sor Fern is arts editor at The Straits Times.
Now Boarding is a new series on destinations that are taking off. For more travel stories, go to str.sg/travel
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