Kunihiko Mitamura and Maiko Kozuka Explore Fresh Green Uji, Kyoto, from Byodoin to Uji Tea and Local Cuisine

In this episode, Maiko Kozuka joins a trip to Uji, Kyoto, during the season of fresh greenery. The journey highlights the World Heritage site Byodoin, exquisite local cuisine, and traditional tea culture, offering an adult travel experience for all five senses. The first stop is Ujigawa Kanko Tsusen, where visitors can enjoy the scenery of Uji from a leisurely boat ride along a calm branch of the Uji River. The area offers seasonal charms throughout the year, including cherry blossoms in spring, cormorant fishing in summer, and autumn leaves in fall. Next, the pair visit Mimurotoji Temple, an ancient temple founded in the Nara period. It is the tenth temple of the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage and was established by imperial order of Emperor Konin. At the Kurume Azalea Garden, which opened last year, they are overwhelmed by the beauty of the Kurume azaleas. Although the best viewing season ends in late April, the Hydrangea Garden, home to 20,000 hydrangea plants, is scheduled to open on May 31. After working up an appetite, they stop by Odashi x Hamburg Hanabiyori, a restaurant that opened about a year ago. The owner, formerly a bistro chef, created dishes that reflect the local character of Uji. Mitamura tries the signature Uji roasted green tea-scented dashi hamburg steak, praised for both its carefully prepared soup and hearty hamburg steak. Kozuka enjoys the mozzarella cheese Italian soup hamburg steak. No visit to Uji would be complete without Byodoin, a World Heritage site. Its Phoenix Hall is especially famous and is depicted on the Japanese 10-yen coin. However, there is actually a difference between the real Phoenix Hall and the image on the coin. At the Byodoin Museum Hoshokan, visitors can also view the National Treasure Phoenix from an astonishing distance of about 20 centimeters. The next destination is Fukujuen Uji Tea Workshop, operated by the long-established tea company Fukujuen. The pair experience the traditional hand-rolling method of tea production. The full process reportedly takes six hours, and they try the final stage. When the finished tea leaves are brewed, Mitamura is visibly moved by the aroma and umami that spread through his mouth. For dinner, they visit Odokoro roji, an izakaya focused on Kyoto ingredients. They begin with hot tiger pufferfish fin sake, then savor the springy, rich flavor of natural fish in an assorted sashimi platter. The steamed basket of freshly harvested vegetables with fish includes Spanish mackerel from Tango on the second tier, surprising them with its flavor. The final dish, Kyoto wagyu steak beef cutlet, is also outstanding, bringing the evening to a blissful close. Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi airs every Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The travel program follows Kunihiko Mitamura as he walks through different destinations, enjoying local food, sake, scenery, and encounters with local people, sharing what he discovers along the way for an adult audience.