Uji Tea Festival

A traditional event held throughout the area from Uji Bridge to Koshoji Temple, offering visitors a chance to experience the history and culture of Uji tea. The Uji Tea Festival is held around Uji Bridge on the first Sunday in October each year to honor three pioneers of Japanese tea culture: Zen Master Eisai, Priest Myoe, and Sen no Rikyu.

One of the festival's highlights is the Ceremony of Drawing Famous Water, inspired by the story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi drawing water for tea from the San-no-ma section of Uji Bridge. The water drawn there is transferred to a bamboo container and carried to Koshoji Temple by a procession dressed in traditional ceremonial attire. This is followed by the Ceremony of Opening the Tea Jar and a tea offering ceremony in the temple's main hall.

A memorial service is also held at the Tea Whisk Mound in front of Koshoji Temple, along with tea gatherings where visitors can taste Uji tea. This seasonal autumn event offers the chance to experience Uji's enduring tea culture through both traditional ceremonies and flavor while walking from the area around Uji Bridge to Koshoji Temple.