Before the Nara Period, this stretch of the Uji River served as a key junction point for water and land tranportation. It thus served as the stage for numerous historical events. Uji Bridge, constructed in central Uji in 646, is listed as one of Japan's three oldest bridges along with Seta no Kara Bridge and Yamasaki Bridge. It appeared in Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry and The Tale of Genji and is known for the legend of Hashihime (The Princess Bridge) as depicted in Nohtheater.