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As someone who had travelled to Japan once before, visiting Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, I was excited to return. Two hours west of Tokyo by bullet train is the hidden gem of Japan – the Gifu prefecture. This time I discovered there’s so much more to Japan than the cities. A bit off the beaten path, Gifu surprised me in more ways than one. Check out our Gifu travel guide below:
What to do in Gifu?
Gifu City
My first stop was one for the history buff in me – Gifu Castle. What was once the residence of 16th century warrior Oda Nobunaga – one of Japan’s great unifiers – is now Gifu Park.
You can hike 329m to the top of Mount Kinka, but as I was wearing unsuitable footwear, I took the short cut, a four-minute cable car ride instead.
Sitting at the top of the mountain is a rebuild of the original castle, first built in 1201. During its construction in 1956, planners used historic records to ensure it closely resembled the early castle.
In fact, the rock walls were built using the stone from the original!
The lower three floors house a museum of historic artefacts and models of Nobunaga.
The fourth and highest floor is an observation deck with panoramic views of the very flat city, Nagara River, and surrounding countryside.
Just a short walk away is a stunning little restaurant called Shokudo Koyori.
It’s on a quiet street lined with old townhouses, and the menu items are based on ingredients available that day. I had the miso rice and pumpkin cake, and it was delicious!
Nagara River
Flowing through the heart of the region, the Nagara River is the site of an ancient artform called ‘ukai’ cormorant or bird fishing. Surviving more than 1300 years, the fishing style is spellbinding.
Practised in just 12 cities across Japan, today only six fishermen in Gifu City hold the title of ‘usho’ (cormorant fishing master), with their skills passed down through generations.
Stepping onto the boat at twilight, I pulled up a pillow ready to watch. Six long wooden boats, each with an usho and two boatmen using wooden poles, paddled down the river. Dressed traditionally in straw skirt, tiny sandals, and black kimono, the usho use the flames of ‘kagari-bi’ (fire lanterns) to reflect off the surface of the river and attract the fish.
Swimming along the side of the boat tethered to the hand of each boat master, were cormorants. When they saw the shimmer of ‘ayu’ (sweet fish) as they came to the surface, the birds swooped in to catch them in their large beaks.
Practised through the warmer months (May 11- October 15), the first catch of each season is sent straight to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo for the emperor to enjoy.
Watching others do all the hard work can be tiring, so I wasted no time starting on the sake, and tucked into my bento box meal, which was wrapped with a bright red bow.
I was also treated to the sight of beautiful Geico dancers who sail up and down the river.
Seki
As someone who grew up with brothers and loved all things martial arts, I couldn’t wait to see the makings of a samurai sword.
The sword capital of Japan, the tiny town of Seki is nestled between two rivers, with an abundant supply of river clay and coal, making it the ideal location for swordsmithing.
Handmaking blades is a tradition that dates back 800 years, and Seki swords are known for being unbreakable, unbendable and extremely sharp.
Walking into the Seki Hamono Museum, we watched a sword-forging demonstration by the 25th and 26th generation of Kanefusa Fujiwara swordsmiths, who have manufactured swords for the Tokugawa family for generations. We even got to have a go at welding the heavy mallets that flatten the hot steel.
It can take up to a year to produce a single blade using 30,000 layers of steel.
You can buy swords if you want to bring back a memento for the kitchen. Just remember not to pack it in your carry-on luggage!
Mino City
Walking through the city of Mino, I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking through the movie set of Disney movie Mulan.
Here in this sleepy town people dress in traditional stunning kimonos and carry brightly coloured washi paper umbrellas.
Our Mino city adventure started at Warabee Land, where everything, even floors, walls and curtains, is made from or covered in washi paper.
After watching an artisan work his magic, it was time to get our hands messy and make sheets of this fine paper ourselves. I was pretty pleased with the results.
With hunger pangs rising, we were in for a real treat – homemade bento boxes made by the artisan’s wife! The star was slow-cooked pork belly, and the homemade edamame ice cream was so good!
Mino was one of my favourite towns. Wandering around the stores, I found the perfect washi paper hand fan for a souvenir.
Being a foodie, dinner at Gomaya was a highlight. It was my first experience at an izakaya restaurant and it won’t be the last. I highly recommend the plum sake and potato mochi.
Yoro
My favourite place to stay was Takimotokan Yuki no Sato Hotel. Legend has it, 1300 years ago near here a boy was collecting firewood around Mount Yoro, and he ladled some water from the waterfall to give his ailing father. It tasted like sake and his father’s youth was restored!
While my experience didn’t involve a time machine of youth, I was lucky enough to feel the magic of Yoro Falls – one of the 100 best spring water sites in Japan.
Staying at this traditional Japanese ryokan, I slept on tatami matted floors with a rice and lavender filled pillow. I will admit it took a bit of getting used to, but I say don’t knock it till you try it.
Waking at first light, I started my day with a sunrise soak in the hot springs followed by a freshly made pot of tea.
Next on the agenda was a traditional ‘Tarai’, a wash tub turned boat ride and sake tasting.
According to yet another legend, the river cruise simulates the same journey a young girl took in a wash tub at night to escape warfare. But we floated down the river happily sipping on sake.
Moving on to my favourite part of the day – lunch, I popped into Yakiniku Katchan.
Taking off my shoes as is tradition, I pulled up a pillow ready for what was a delicious feast.
I had an amazing time in the Gifu prefecture, exploring this lesser known area of Japan.
Getting there
Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Qantas fly from Australia to Japan – or let Sky Scanner, Flight Centre or Expedia do the work for you. For accommodation, check out Airbnb, Booking.com or Agoda for options.
