{"id":6593,"date":"2026-04-17T02:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T02:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/6593\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T02:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T02:15:08","slug":"a-cup-of-coffee-a-great-view-and-a-small-act-of-kindness-in-kyoto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/6593\/","title":{"rendered":"A cup of coffee, a great view and a small act of kindness in Kyoto"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tCoffee and matcha ice cream are served riverside at Uji Byori, a cafe run by a friendly couple in Uji, Japan. (Aaron Kidd\/Stars and Stripes)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Uji Biyori is one of those rare cafes that feels less like a business and more like being welcomed into someone\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

Situated along the river in Uji \u2014 a small city in Kyoto prefecture famous for producing some of Japan\u2019s best matcha \u2014 this cafe has a quiet, old-fashioned charm that instantly slows you down. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s fitting that \u201cbiyori\u201d translates to \u201cperfect day.\u201d <\/p>\n

The setting is magical here \u2014 riverside terrace seating, a peaceful neighborhood feel, and an interior filled with vintage d\u00e9cor, flowers, books and other small personal touches that make the space feel warm and live-in. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tCoffee and matcha ice cream are served riverside at Uji Byori, a cafe ran by a friendly couple in Uji, Japan. (Aaron Kidd\/Stars and Stripes)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tUji Byori in Kyoto prefecture, Japan, is one of those rare cafes that feels less like a business and more like being welcomed into someone\u2019s home. (Aaron Kidd\/Stars and Stripes)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Riverside<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tEnjoy coffee, dessert and view along the Uji River at Uji Byori, a cafe with friendly owners in Kyoto prefecture, Japan. (Aaron Kidd\/Stars and Stripes)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Uji Biyori is run by a husband-and-wife team who are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They speak some English, which makes the experience even more accessible and personal, and their kindness isn\u2019t transactional \u2014 they\u2019re truly happy you\u2019ve come. <\/p>\n

The menu, which lists items in both English and Japanese, is straightforward: coffee, matcha drinks, yuzu tea, cocoa and a few desserts, including ice cream and matcha shiratama azuki, a classic Japanese dessert featuring green tea ice cream, chewy rice dumplings and sweet red beans. <\/p>\n

Prices are very reasonable, considering the service comes with incredible views of the Uji River. All beverages cost 450 yen, or about $2.85, with combos that include desserts starting at 700 yen. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"An<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe owners of the Uji Byori cafe in Uji, Japan, treat their customers more like good friends. (Aaron Kidd\/Stars and Stripes)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Calligraphy<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tA small gallery attached to Uji Byori, a friendly cafe in Japan\u2019s Kyoto prefecture, featured calligraphy art on April 5, 2026. (Aaron Kidd\/Stars and Stripes)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

I was sitting alone on the terrace enjoying a cup of the cafe\u2019s house blend with a scoop of matcha ice cream when the husband came out holding a harmonica. He asked if he could play a song for me, before closing his eyes and performing a heartfelt rendition of \u201cAmazing Grace.\u201d I realized partway through that it was Easter Sunday, which made the moment feel even more meaningful. <\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t just a cafe visit anymore; it was a small, human connection that you don\u2019t often find while traveling. After walking inside to pay, the wife invited me into a nearby room filled with charming Japanese calligraphy art. <\/p>\n

Uji Biyori\u2019s appeal is its warmth and sincerity \u2014 it\u2019s the kind of place that stays with you not because of what you ordered, but because of how it made you feel. <\/p>\n

Uji Biyori<\/p>\n

Location: 59-3 Mataburi, Uji, Kyoto 611-0021 <\/p>\n

Hours: The cafe is open irregularly, so call ahead before visiting. <\/p>\n

Prices: All beverages are 450 yen. Sets (drinks paired with sweets such as cheesecake, matcha and vanilla ice cream, or matcha shiratama azuki) start at 700 yen. <\/p>\n

Dress: Casual <\/p>\n

Directions: Situated along the east bank of the Uji River, a short walk from Uji Station. <\/p>\n

Information: Phone: 0774-23-6631<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coffee and matcha ice cream are served riverside at Uji Byori, a cafe run by a friendly couple…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6594,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6013,8,151,6014,6012],"class_list":{"0":"post-6593","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kyoto","8":"tag-cafe","9":"tag-japan","10":"tag-kyoto","11":"tag-matcha","12":"tag-uji-biyori"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}