Two 1-day Keihan passes (about ¥1,100 each), Byodo-in (about ¥700) and the Kyoto Tower collab (about ¥1,000). Add the short JR ride to Tofukuji, about ¥300 for the Phoenix Hall and the Randen if you go.
Best time to go
Until December 20, 2026, while the official collaboration runs. Autumn is also one of Kyoto's busiest seasons, so book hotels early.
Closing days
The collab lunch runs Fridays to Mondays only. Daikichiyama has no lights: be down before dark.
Walking (our estimate)
Moderate: roughly 7–9 km on day 1, with a hill climb; less on day 2.
Sound! Euphonium, Kyoto Animation's series about a high school concert band, is set in Uji, the tea town south of Kyoto. The series ends with the film The Final Chapter, whose second part opened on September 11, 2026. Keihan Railway, working with Uji City, publishes an official location map of the town, and its 2026 autumn collaboration (to December 20, 2026) adds panels, a stamp rally and events in Uji and Kyoto. Uji fits in one day from Kyoto; a second day adds the Kyoto Tower event and two Kyoto spots from the same map.
Times, fares and opening hours are approximate. Check the official pages under Sources before you go (last checked September 18, 2026).
1
Day 1
Kyoto → Uji: the official location map
Keihan to Uji, the station, the bridge, Byodo-in and Agata Shrine, then up Daikichiyama before dark.
Morning
Kyoto → Uji by Keihan
From Kyoto Station take the JR Nara Line one stop to Tofukuji (about 2 min), then the Keihan Main Line to Chushojima and change to the Uji Line for the last stop, Uji. The anime spots start at Keihan Uji Station.
1
Morning
Keihan Uji Station
Spot no. 1 on the official map. Until December 20, 2026 there are life-size character panels here. A character-wrapped vending machine has been in place since September 1, 2026, with no end date set. Pick up the paper location map at the Keihan Uji Station tourist information office in front of the station (open roughly 9:00–17:00), or download the PDF before you go.
A few minutes' walk from the station. One of Japan's oldest bridges, said to date from 646. Until October 31, 2026 it is a stamp point in the official digital stamp rally. It carries traffic: take photos from the walkway, not the road.
Cross the bridge and walk along the shopping street to Byodo-in, a World Heritage temple with the Phoenix Hall. Garden 8:45–17:30 (last entry 17:15), about ¥700 for adults including the museum. Entry into the Phoenix Hall is about ¥300 extra, in timed groups, first come first served. Have lunch on the streets around the temple; Uji is famous for its green tea.
3
Early afternoon
Agata Shrine
Just south of Byodo-in, free and open at any time. It is on the official map, and from November 1 to December 20, 2026 it is a stamp point in the late course. It is a place of worship: bow at the gate and keep your voice down.
Cross back to the east bank and follow the walking path up Daikichiyama (about 1 km, with a rest shelter on the way) to the observatory over the Uji River and Byodo-in. A stamp point until October 31, 2026. The path has no lights, so start the climb early enough to be down before dark.
The Kyoto Tower collab event, an optional collab lunch, then Kawai Bridge at Demachiyanagi.
Morning
Nidec Kyoto Tower collab event
From September 1 to December 20, 2026 the observation deck has character photo spots, panels, a stamp card and goods. Open 10:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30); about ¥1,000 for adults from October 1, 2026 (¥900 until September 30). The tower is in front of Kyoto Station.
Midday
Collab cafe (optional)
Hotel Keihan Kyoto Hachijoguchi, by Kyoto Station, runs a Sound! Euphonium collab lunch until December 20, 2026: Fridays to Mondays only, 11:30–15:00 (last order 14:30). Book ahead on the official page.
Afternoon
Kawai Bridge, Demachiyanagi
Take the Keihan Main Line north to its terminus, Demachiyanagi. Kawai Bridge is listed on the official map as a Kyoto location outside Uji, a short walk from the station. It is a road bridge: stay on the sidewalk.
Late afternoon
Randen Kitano-Hakubaicho Station (optional)
The official map also lists Kitano-Hakubaicho Station on the Randen (Keifuku) line in northwest Kyoto. It is a working station: don't block the platform or the level crossing.
Terminus
Where to stay
Hotel links go straight to the booking site. We get nothing from them.
Terminus · stay in
Kyoto
Night 1. Kyoto Tower Hotel Annex sells one Sound! Euphonium collab room a night until March 1, 2027.
For visitors to Japan. Unlimited Keihan rides between Demachiyanagi, Gion-Shijo, Chushojima and Uji, which covers the anime spots on both days. It does not cover JR, the subway, buses or the Randen.
Until December 20, 2026 a wrapped Sound! Euphonium bus runs in the Uji area and six bus stops have collab signs. The collab 1-day ticket is sold at the Keihan Uji and JR Uji tourist information offices while stocks last. Only needed if you add spots outside central Uji.
Kyoto Station to JR Uji without changing. It is a JR line, so the Keihan pass does not cover it.
Some links here are partner links: we get a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
Please note
Visiting with respect
Keep your voice down near homes, especially in the evening. The official map asks for this.
Don't climb Daikichiyama after dark: the path has no lights. Take your trash home.
Uji Bridge and Kawai Bridge carry traffic. Photograph from the sidewalk, never from the road.
Agata Shrine and Byodo-in are places of worship. Keep to the paths and follow photo rules inside Byodo-in.
Don't go onto any school grounds.
Good to know
FAQ
Is there an official Sound! Euphonium map of Uji?
Yes. Keihan Railway publishes a location map made with Uji City's cooperation, as a PDF on its collaboration site and on paper at major Keihan stations and the Uji tourist information offices from September 1, 2026 while copies last.
Do the collaboration events run all year?
No. The 2026 autumn collaboration runs September 1 to December 20, 2026. The stamp rally has an early course (to October 31) and a late course (November 1 to December 20). The spots themselves are public places, but some have hours: Byodo-in's garden is open 8:45–17:30, and the Daikichiyama path has no lights, so climb in daylight.
Is there a Kyoto Animation shop to visit?
Kyoto Animation's own shop page reports that its physical shop, Kyoani & Do Shop!, has closed.
Can I do Uji as a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka?
From Osaka, the Keihan Main Line reaches Chushojima and the Uji Line without leaving Keihan; Keihan's KYOTO-OSAKA SIGHTSEEING PASS covers it.
Transfer
Combine with nearby routes
Have more days? These routes start or end close to this one.
