Uji Station (JR West) (宇治駅 (JR西日本))
Uji Station, located at 16 Uji-Umonji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Nara Line of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is a representative JR station in Uji City, a locality famous for tourist attractions such as Byodoin Temple and its position as the production center of Uji Tea.
Station layout
The station originally was an aboveground station with a combination of two types of platforms, one a one-sided platform (track only on one side) and the other a so-called island type with tracks on both sides; however, ｔｏ cope effectively with the sharp increase in the number of passengers, operate more trains as a result of the Nara Line becoming partially double-tracked and achieve more convenience, in August 2000 the station building was reconstructed and completed as a grand over-track structure situated over two aboveground island platforms and four tracks. The exterior appearance of the station building depicts and resembles Byodoin Temple, the foremost tourist attraction of Uji.
The use of island-type platforms facilitates connections and transfers between swift rapid trains (including the Miyakoji Rapid Service on the Nara Line) and slow local trains; additionally, some local trains from Kyoto double back at this station.
The Uji City Tourist Association's information office at the station's south entrance has a rest station that is proving to be convenient for tourists. Also, one can readily see the peculiar tea canister-shaped mailbox, which was installed in 2001 to commemorate Uji City's fiftieth anniversary of becoming a municipality to attract the attention of tourists pouring out of the station.
The ICOCA and J-Thru Cards can be used at this station as well as PiTaPa (Surutto KANSAI Association) Cards subject to mutual use with ICOCA cards.
Odd-number platforms (Platform 1 and 3) are refuge tracks, and even-number platforms (Platform 2 and 4) are the main tracks. Local trains taking refuge from rapid trains stop on odd-number platforms.
Usage status
The number of passengers boarding at this station came to approximately 7,173 per day in fiscal year 2006.
(Source: Kyoto Prefecture Statistical Report)
The number is less than the approximate 15,192 of Okubo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) and approximate 9,570 of Ogura Station (Kyoto Prefecture) on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line, which runs in the western part of Uji City, and there is doubt as to whether it could be referred to as a representative station of Uji City, but this station and Keihan Uji Station do function as gateways for sightseeing in Uji.
The rate of congestion varies according to the season, but the number of passengers is generally on the higher side.
Station surroundings
Keihan Electric Railway Keihan Uji Line also has a Uji Station (Keihan), which is located across the Uji-bashi Bridge and some 890 m along the road to the northeast. Because the two stations have similar names, this station is generally referred to as JR Uji Station.
Uji City Hall
Uji Post Office (Kyoto Prefecture)
Byodoin-Temple
Agata-jinja Shrine
Hashihime-jinja Shrine
Uji-jinja Shrine
Ujigami-jinja Shrine
Tokichi Nakamura
Unitika Ltd., Uji Office
Other than the above-mentioned, hotel and tourist information centers are established in front of the station, souvenir stores line the street along Uji-gawa River and the atmosphere is truly that of a famous tourist site.
Bus routes
JR Uji Station (Keihan City Bus/Keihan Bus)/JR Uji (Keihan Uji Bus)
Keihan Uji Bus, Keihan Bus
Uji-Yodo Line: For Yodo Station (via Okubo Station (Kyoto Prefecture))
Route 23A: For Jusco Kumiyama Shopping Center (via Kintetsu Okubo Station)
Route 27: For Kintetsu Okubo Station (via Jonan-so)
Routes 22A, 22C: For Kumiyama-danchi (apartment complex) (via Kintetsu Okubo Station)
Routes 35, 35B: For Kintetsu Okubo Station (via Ogura Station (Kyoto Prefecture)/(Route 35B) Kyoto Prefectural Todo Senior High School
Route 310: For Kintetsu Okubo Station (via Ogura-eki-mae)/Uji Bunka Center (Uji City Culture Center)
Routes 41, 43, 44, 45: For Taiyogaoka ※Route 41, 45 via Biwadai 3-chome
Routes 44A, 45A: For Taiyogaoka gate-mae
Routes 180, 180B: For Ichu-mae (via Taiyogaoka gate-mae) ※ Route 180B via Biwadai 3-chome
Route 184: Ujitawara Kogyo-Danchi (industrial park) (via Taiyogaoka gate-mae)
Route 182: For Ryokuenzaka (via Taiyogaoka gate-mae)
Routes 240, 240A, 250A: For Kintetsu Okubo Station (via Biwadai, Shokubutsu-koen-mae (Botanical Park)) ※Routes 240A, 250B via Ritsumeikan Uji High School
Route 43: For Obaku Station (via Myojo-cho)
Route 250A: For Obaku Station (via Morimoto)
Routes 35B, 41A: For Todo Senior High School (via Morimoto)
※ Return trip on routes for which no particular mention is made: Keihan Uji Station (only Keihan City Bus on Route 21)/Keihan Uji (Keihan Uji Bus) or Uji Shako depot (the stop next to Keihan Uji)
Uji Station (Keihan), on the Keihan Uji Line, is on the left after going in an easterly direction and crossing Uji-bashi Bridge.
Less than 10 minutes on foot
Alternatively, it's the second stop (JR Uji→Ujibashi-Nishitsume→Keihan Uji) on routed buses such as Keihan Bus.
History
January 25, 1896: The station was inaugurated when the extended section of the Nara Railway between Momoyama Station and Tamamizu Station became operational.
February 7, 1905: The station became a station of Kansai Railway due to amalgamation.
October 1, 1907: Kansai Railway Company was nationalized. It became Uji Station of Japan National Railways.
April 1, 1987: It became a JR West station due to the split privatization of Japan National Railways.
March 16, 1991: Rapid trains commenced operations on the Nara Line. At the outset, this station was the only one at which rapid trains stopped.
August 7, 2000: The over-track station building commenced operations.
March 3, 2001: The section between this station and Shinden Station (Kyoto Prefecture) became double-tracked. The Miyakoji Rapid Service commenced operations.
Neighboring stations
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
■Nara Line
■Miyakoji Rapid Service
Rokujizo Station - Uji Station - Joyo Station
■Rapid Service/■Regional Rapid Service (regional rapid service stops at each station south of Uji Station)
Rokujizo Station - Uji Station - JR Ogura Station
■Local
Obaku Station - Uji Station - JR Ogura Station