A Morning at Byodo-in Phoenix Hall

Table of Contents

Byodoin in Uji

Setting out early in the morning for Byodoin

I was headed to Phoenix Hall at Byodoin in Uji, and the weather was blessed with the kind of clear blue sky you hope for in May.

The exterior of The Westin Miyako Kyoto in the morning

From the nearest station, Keage, I made my way to JR Uji Station via Rokujizo Station.

An unbelievably perfect blue sky

Not long after walking from Uji Station, I ran into huge crowds. It was only 9:30, and everyone was already here so early… As soon as I got in, I booked a ticket for the interior viewing of Phoenix Hall, but the time I got was 12:30. Three hours later, lol.

Byodoin in the morning, before the sun had fully risen, had a really nice feel to it. There was no backlighting, which made it especially good.

Phoenix Hall at Byodoin under a blue sky

Seen from the front, you can really tell how symmetrical the building is.

Phoenix Hall at Byodoin under a blue sky, seen from the front

Since I was there, I tried the paid audio guide app and listened as I walked around.

https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/on-the-trip-a-travelers-guide/id1221976012

That said, the guide on this app, ON THE TRIP, felt overproduced in all the wrong ways. The explanations were painfully slow, and there was so much unnecessary phrasing that none of it really went into my head. I found myself wondering whether this worked as an audio guide at all. Has the person who planned this ever actually used one…?

So I walked around with this irritating audio guide in hand. I found that going a little farther back, rather than staying near the front or directly in front of the hall, meant fewer people and a much more relaxed viewing experience.

Phoenix Hall at Byodoin under a blue sky, seen from an angle

From another angle, there was also a lotus pond. When the flowers bloom, I imagine it really must look like the Pure Land.

Phoenix Hall at Byodoin seen across a lotus pond

After that, I visited the museum on the grounds, Byodoin Museum Hoshokan. Some of the paintings that can no longer be seen in their original form because of deterioration have been recreated there, so it’s a good idea to stop by for a bit of background before going in for the interior viewing of Phoenix Hall.

After waiting about three hours, the interior viewing!

For the interior viewing, everyone with a reservation ticket gathers together and proceeds according to the guide’s instructions. Photography is completely prohibited during the visit, so I have no photos.

I had looked closely at the reconstructed pieces in the attached museum beforehand, so I understood a lot more when I went inside, which was great. Knowledge matters! lol

Exploring the area around Uji

Cormorants on the Uji River

Since it felt like a waste to come all the way to Uji and see only Byodoin, I took a walk around the area. There were cormorants on the island in the middle of the Uji River. So this is where they’re kept.