Japan City Guides: Gifu

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Gifu

• Situated 30km north of Nagoya
• Known for its castle on the historic Nakasendo highway
• Population: 400,000
• Famous for its comorant fishing and paper products
• Easy to navigate on foot, rental bicycle or bus
• Town has excellent museums
• Number one attraction is Gifu Castle
• Easy day trip from Nagoya

Gifu is a pleasant, relaxing town only 30 minutes by train from Nagoya. The administrative capital of Gifu prefecture, the town was devastated by an earthquake in 1891 and again later in World War II, but has been rebuilt and its historic buildings carefully restored.

Gifu Castle (Tel: 058 263 4853), in Gifu Park, is located on the summit of the 300m-high Mount Kinka and was previously known as Inabayama Castle. Gifu Castle is associated with the life of local Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), who strengthened the castle's fortifications and renamed the fortress.

Present-day Gifu Castle dates from the 1950s and exhibits collections of Edo Period armor and weapons. There are spectacular views from the top observation deck over the Nagara River below. A small museum below the castle contains musical instruments and other period artifacts and is included in the price of admission.
There's a restaurant with excellent views, beer and food just up from the ropeway station at the top of the mountain.

Gifu Park, a short bus journey from Gifu JR or Meitetsu stations, also offers Nawa Insect Museum (Tel: 058 263 0038) with over 18,000 species of insects on display and the Gifu City Museum of History (Tel: 058 265 0010).

Near where Gifu Park meets the Nagara River is the Chinese-style Japan-China Friendship Garden and a monument to haiku-master, Basho, who spent time in the town and admired the cormorant fishing.

Nearby is Shohiji Temple (Tel: 058 264 2760) with a 13.7m-tall image of Buddha made from lacquered paper on a basketwork frame and completed in 1832. Jyozaiji Temple (Tel: 058 263 6632) just round the corner has a pleasant garden to sit and take in the serenity. The large Inaba Shrine is just a short walk further south.

Besides Gifu Castle, the town's other main tourist draw is the summer cormorant fishing (ukai) on the clear Nagara River. After dark from mid-May to mid-October, excursion boats can be hired, from hotels and at the booking office (Tel: 058 262 0104) just below Nagara Bridge, to participate in a traditional practice of catching Japanese sweetfish (ayu) using comorants.

The cormorants are tethered by rings around the neck so that they don't swallow the fish and the birds are released in to the river in search of Japanese trout from long, covered, wooden fishing boats with braziers out front to attract the fish.
The captured fish are grilled and traditionally served up with Japanese beer and sake.

Ukai cormorant fishing from river boats also takes place in Arashiyama in Kyoto and other river towns around Japan.
The best view for spectators is the far bank of the Nagara River. Gifu Castle is clearly visible on the hill above.

Near the boat office is the historic Kawaramachi Street with restored Meiji Period and earlier wooden buildings. Another good riverside walk is across the Nagara River in the "Greenway Cormorant Fishing Village" which contains the often traditional houses of the masters of the ukai fishing boats on the banks of the river and various monuments to their traditional 1,300-year-old trade.

Also on the north bank of the Nagara River are the modern Nagaragawa Convention Center (Tel: 058 296 1200), Mirai Hall (Tel: 058 296 0886) and the Gifu Memorial Sports Center (Tel: 058 233 8822).

There is a pleasant riverside park with a roller-blading space and a memorial to marathon runner Takahashi Naoko (aka Q-chan), one of Gifu's most famous daughters who won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the women's marathon. Also of interest is nearby Sofukuji Temple (Tel: 058 231 2613), which is associated with Nobunaga Oda and his family.

The riverside park on the north bank is a good location to watch the large fireworks displays held on the Nagara River on the last Saturday in July and the first Saturday in August. Both events draw hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The Nagara River Park Tejikara Fire Festival is held on the second Saturday in August and also the second Saturday of April at Tejikarao Shrine (Access from Tejikara Station on the Meitetsu-Kamigahara Line).

Gifu has a long history of paper production and is well-known for its high quality paper umbrellas and paper lanterns.

There are a number of shops selling Gifu's signature goods in the shopping arcades north of Gifu JR Station around Kogane Shrine and on Yanagase Street.

Other places off interest in the city are Bairin Park, which is famous for plum blossoms and has an excellent, traditional noodle restaurant nearby.

South of JR Gifu Station are the remains of Kano Castle, Kano Tenmangu Shrine and the Gifu Museum of Fine Arts (Tel: 058 271 1313) near Gifu Library.

Tourist Information

Gifu Tourist Information Office (Tel: 058 262 4415)is on the 2nd floor of the JR station building. Gifu Convention and Visitors Bureau (Tel: 058 263 7291) is next to the Gifu City Hall South Office.

Access

Air

Chubu International Airport is the nearest airport to Gifu. There are direct connecting trains on the Meitetsu Centrair service (55 minutes).

Rail

Gifu is 30km north from Nagoya. By Tokaido Shinkansen, Nagoya is 52 minutes from Osaka and 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo.
From Nagoya Station, Gifu is less than 30 minutes by either JR Tokaido Line or the Meitetsu Nagoya Line. From Inuyama, Gifu is also around 30 minutes travel time by Meitetsu train.

Bus

There are long distance bus services from outside Gifu Station to Tokyo (Shinjuku Station), Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya (every 30 minutes), Gujo Hachiman (1 hour) and Kobe.

Getting Around

Gifu's street cars (trams) no longer run, though you can see one preserved in downtown Kogane Park. There are numerous city buses running from the bus station outside the JR station.
Cheap bicycle hire is available from the Tourist Office (Tel: 058 262 4415) on the 2nd floor of the JR station building, Gifu Park, Gifu City Hall (South Office) and the Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office.

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