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Gifu

Scenic Shirakawa-go and Gero's hot springs

About Gifu
Hilltop view over Shirakawa-go (Photo: Tom Roseveare / JT)

Top Attractions in Gifu

Around Gifu

Takayama

Takayama

Takayama is the largest city in the northern region of Hida. Though its population is only 92,000, the area is 2,177.67 km2 w...

Gifu
Gujo

Gujo

Summer Spring Winter, Fall that's Gujo City. From the Bon Odori and white water rafting in the summer, to fantastic skiing in...

Gifu
Mino

Mino

This small community nestled between Gujo City and Seki City grew from a sleepy river port into a world renowned producer of ...

Gifu
Gifu City

Gifu City

Gifu City is a city of resilience, history and traditions; a territory desired by rival warlords during the quest to unify Ja...

Gifu
Higashishirakawa Village

Higashishirakawa Village

Heikoncha! Welcome to Higashishirakawa. Only two villages remain in Gifu prefecture; Shirakawa-go and Higashishirakawa villag...

Gifu
Gero Onsen

Gero Onsen

Slipping into a hot spring is a common practice in Japan. Gero City, located two hours north of Gifu City, one hour east of N...

Gifu
Shirakawago Village

Shirakawago Village

In the northwest corner Gifu nestled in the Ryohaku Mountains shadow of Mount Haku, one of Japan's sacred mountains, is Shira...

Gifu
Nakatsugawa

Nakatsugawa

“The Kiso Road is all in the mountains.” “Spring is slow coming to my mountain home” - Toson Shimazaki wrote when describing ...

Gifu

Top Articles

Upcoming Gifu Events

Subzero Forest Ice Festival

Subzero Forest Ice Festival

Kim

The Subzero Forest Ice Festival in Takayama is held on the second Saturday of February every year, and it combines icicles an...

Gifu
Mino Festival

Mino Festival

Kim

The Mino Festival is held every year on the second Saturday and Sunday of April, and the event is best known for several flow...

Gifu
Gifu Beer Festival

Gifu Beer Festival

Kim

Held annually since 2015, the Gifu Beer Festival aims to promote regional revitalization through good brews and good food.

Gifu

Where to eat in Gifu

Heianraku

Heianraku

Anne Lauenroth

Enjoy delicious Chinese, Japanese and vegetarian food at lovely Heianraku, a cozy restaurant in Takayama.

Gifu

Places to stay in Gifu

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About Gifu

Gifu
Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Chubu
Island Honshu
Capital Gifu
Population 2,080,773
Area 10,621.29 sq. km

Located in the center of Honshu, Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県, Gifu-ken) has the distinction of being the place that changed modern Japanese history forever - the Battle of Sekigahara took place in 1600 in the Gifu town of the same name.

Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious, he and his successors ruled Japan for the next 268 years virtually unchallenged, Japan closed its doors to foreign trade, and Edo (present day Tokyo) became the major city of the country. Sekigahara aside, Gifu still has more than plenty to offer.

Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage Site, is beautiful all year round but especially breathtaking in the winter, while Gero Onsen is also a popular destination. Can’t make it to Kyoto? Try visiting Takayama, affectionately nicknamed “Little Kyoto.” Kuri-kinton, a chestnut sweet, is the local delicacy, but if you have room to splurge definitely have some Hida beef!

Around Gifu

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