The lady who wrote Genji Monogatari, one of the oldest novel in the world when the time that women did not be accepted to study writing and alphabet.

Boring. I can see that Uji will be the first to collapse in Kyoto which is said to be at the verge of financial collapse. Uji chapter of “The tale of Genji” is just a Sequel story. It’s a story after the main character died. The tale of Genji is mainly set in Kyoto city, not Uji city. Don’t be fooled.

This petite Heian period lady in the long flowing robes and hair is actually a giant of both Japanese and world literature, often credited with writing the world’s first novel. Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist & poet. Her novel, The Tale of Genji, details the life and loves of the eponymous Prince Genji during the height of the Heian. The second half of The Tale of Genji takes place in Uji. In honour of this novelist is perched beneath a lone pine alongside the famous Uji Bridge.

Not many tourists include Uji as their destination, but we fell in love with Uji as soon as we heard about it, and didn't regret it at all. We love Uji, and what makes Uji so special is that it is as classic as our imagination of old Japan, and not as touristy as any other place in Kyoto. People in Uji are very friendly too, like in most place in Kansai!

Not much to say, if you visit byodo-in visit this statue. Murasaki was a famous poet/writer. Her statue looks amazing, and the view from there is quite interesting.

We went down here after visiting Nara in the morning. To be honest, when we arrived in Uji, the place itself was beautiful. We wished we spent more time here. We wind down next to the statue and enjoyed the late evening vibe of Uji.

Remarkable place in Uji.

Poignant tribute to one of the earliest novelists.

Nice view

Lady Murasaki well known for her Tale of Genji. This statue isn located on the way to the World Heritage Byodoin from Uji station.

Wonderful riverside area, great for pictures.. Dotted with many Uji Matcha tea houses along the street. A short walk from Uji station. A great stopover between JR Kyoto station and JR Nara station