This historic Omotesando (main approach) leads to the main gate of the World Heritage Site, Byodoin Temple. Located just a 10-minute walk from JR Uji Station and immediately across the Uji Bridge from Keihan Uji Station, it is easily accessible from both stations. Along both sides of the street, long-established Uji tea shops dating back to the Muromachi period line up, filling the air with the fragrance of tea. In 2001, the Ministry of the Environment recognized it as one of the "Top 100 Fragrant Landscapes to Pass on and Preserve." In addition to the long-established Uji tea shops, there are plenty of stores selling unique local products of Uji and souvenir shops. There are also numerous restaurants and cafes where you can leisurely enjoy a menu full of tea-based dishes, such as tea dumplings, matcha sweets, and tea soba noodles, as well as Kyoto-style obanzai (traditional home-cooked dishes). One of the major attractions is the ability to enjoy authentic matcha soft serve ice cream from Uji tea specialty stores while walking around. Try comparing the matcha soft serve from different shops and find your favorite.

+3

Shopping street full of matcha shops!! Prices range from hundreds to thousands yen. Various matcha products are sold: matcha drink, matcha biscuits, matcha cake, sencha, hojicha, and many others. I spent thousands yen on those items haha

I love this street. I spent over 2 hours here. It: - is scenic because of the clear backgrounds, - has plenty of souvenir and matcha shops selling high quality products, - has several matcha-ya to sit in, - has eateries selling matcha gyoza, matcha desserts, and even matcha takoyaki At the end, there's the Byodo-in temple and its gardens.

+3

Visited Byodo-in Omotesando on a weekend this September 2025. Compared to other tourist spots in Japan, the vibe here is calm and slow — perfect if you’re looking for a relaxing day. There are plenty of matcha workshops you can join, and most shops operate from 11 AM to 5 PM, so it’s best to go early. By evening, the area feels quiet as most visitors head back to their accommodations. You can try all sorts of matcha-infused treats you won’t find elsewhere — even matcha beer! Definitely worth a visit, even if you’re coming from Kyoto. A nice side trip to Uji before heading to Nara.

There's a lot to see and shop along this street leading up to Byodo-in Temple. We saw stores selling matcha on the left and on the right as well as restaurants. We really enjoyed this day trip to Uji.

+3