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Uji, situated in the southeast of Kyoto, is a town sitting on the Uji River.  It is famous for the premium quality green tea this region produces.  So, naturally, the town is dotted with many tea houses roasting Uji-cha (Uji tea) and selling all kinds of green tea products.  I visit there often as I like walking while enjoying the rich aroma of green tea.  It is also famous for the Byodoin (Phoenix pavilion) temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and many other sights to see.

One November afternoon, I went there just past lunchtime.  All the lunch cruise boats on the Uji River had returned to be cleaned up by these ladies, as seen in "River Cruise II."  A chilling wind suggesting the cold winter was near, many tourists who came to Uji on this day to enjoy autumn foliage and traditional Japanese meal on the boats disappeared quickly to the warmth inside tea houses.  These small flat-bottomed boats are used during the summer months for cormorant fishing, a once-popular method of river fishing but rarely seen in today’s Japan.

Now if I may tell you my real purpose of going to Uji, it is to have their matcha green tea ice cream.  It’s simply the best.  For anybody interested in making it yourself, here’s a recipe you might want to give a try.  As people in Kyoto say, Yoroshu Oagari (Bon appétit).

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