Byodo-in Temple
Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the building printed on Japan's 10-yen coin, and seeing it in person after recognising it from loose change is one of the small pleasures of an Uji day trip. Originally built in the 11th century as an aristocratic retreat before being converted to a temple, its symmetrical design reflected over a still pond is the clearest reason to visit.
Centuries of matcha
Uji has been one of Japan's most respected matcha-growing regions for centuries, and the town is dense with tea shops, cafes built specifically around matcha desserts, and shaded tea fields on its outskirts. It's a legitimate rival to Kyoto itself for anyone whose main interest in a day trip is tea rather than temples.
A literary footnote
Uji also provides the setting for the final chapters of The Tale of Genji, often called the world's first novel, and several small sites around town nod to this connection for anyone interested in Japanese literary history.
Getting there
Uji sits between Osaka and Kyoto, reachable via the JR Nara Line or the Keihan Uji Line, generally with a change in Kyoto — a total journey of around an hour from central Osaka, making it realistic to combine with a shorter Kyoto visit on the same day if you don't linger too long in either place.