Kyoto Animation Introduces Wonders of Uji City in New Promotional Video – Interest

Kyoto City and nearby locales are undoubtedly some of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, with numerous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It feels as if you’ve been transported to the Heian Period (between 794 to 1185) of Japan at any turn of a corner. While many of the sites are located north of the main JR Kyoto train station, a few reside south of it. And one city that’s home to two World Heritage Sites, Uji City, has partnered with Kyoto Animation for a new promotional video spotlighting the city and all its wonders.

Uji City’s X (formerly Twitter) account unveiled the new Kyoto Animation promotional video, titled (roughly translated) “Uji Has Many Stories,” on August 1:

The six-and-a-half-minute video follows a female tourist as she’s taken to many of the sites within the city by a spirit rabbit. Featured among the sites are Uji Shrine, the Statue of the Ten Uji Chapters from The Tale of Genji, the Byodo-in Temple, the Masuda Chaho (though more to feature Uji Green Tea), Ujibashi Street, Uji Bridge and Uji River, the Keihan Railway Uji Station, the tea fields near the Ocha to Uji-no-machi Historical Park, Tsuen Main Branch (to once again feature Uji Green Tea), The Tale of Genji Museum, Ujigami Shrine, and Sawabari-no-michi. Yet rather than showing us the sites, there is a collage of Uji City throughout the ages with how the background characters are dressed. It’s a whimsical and fantastic video that piques the interest of any viewer.

Takuya Yamamura directed the video, which stars Azusa Tadokoro as the woman. Jazz pianist Ai Kuwabara scores the music.

Along with the new promotional video by Kyoto Animation, Uji City is also running a voice travel guide service staring Yūki Kaji as Hikaru Genji from arguably the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. The guide highlights 23 locations in Uji City and generally follows the path the woman in the promotional video took. So, it’s a fun little way to experience the promotional video yourself. And according to the Uji City website, this service will run until January 6, 2025.

While many anime fans know Uji City for Kyoto Animation‘s Sound! Euphonium, the promotional video shows us a different side of the city. And with a voiced tour by Hikaru Genji (Yūki Kaji), there is a lot of fun to be had in the city.

Sources: Uji City’s website (link 2), Uji City’s X/Twitter account, Uji City’s YouTube channel