Uji, Kyoto (宇治)
Japan's most famous tea name: matcha and gyokuro from the fields around the Uji River.
| Where | Kyoto Prefecture, south of Kyoto City |
|---|---|
| Known for | Matcha, gyokuro, sencha |
About the region
Uji tea history reaches back to the Kamakura period, when tea plants brought from Song-dynasty China were cultivated at Kosho-ji and then Uji. Uji holds protected brand status in Kyoto's rules, and its shaded tencha fields under reed screens are the classic image of matcha country.
Visit note: the Omotesando to Byodo-in Temple is lined with tea shops and matcha sweets; the town is about 20 minutes by train from Kyoto Station (fact checked on official tourism information).
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) crop statistics; Ministry of Finance trade statistics; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); prefectural and municipal official information. Checked 5 November 2026.