This is Gifu

Minokamo

For over four years the prefecture of Gifu has been my home. I've lived in the Minokamo area and taught at the public schools in town. Minokamo is not a well known place in Japan, yet it does have its locally renowned features. one is Showa Mura, a recreated village from the early to mid 1900s when the Showa emperor was still thesymbolic figurehead of the country.

This way

Old style room

House and garden

Kid's masks

Every Fall there is a parade in Minokamo called the Nakasendo Festival. A procession of actors dress up in traditional garb and march along while locals line the street to watch. The parade is actually a reenactment of a procession that passed through centuries ago. Minokamo was a way stop on the Nakasendo road which cut inland from Kyoto to Edo (modern day Tokyo). Several people used the road, but on the day the procession came, a royal princess was present. She was to be married in Edo, and with her was an escort of samurai and social elites.

Procession

In the lead

Me

Lovely courtesans

If there is anything else that the town is famous for, it is the persimmons. Before arriving in Japan I had never eaten the fruit. But the Japanese grow and sell them in most regions. Having had ample opportunities to try them, I can now say I do not like persimmons. The taste and texture are rather off putting in my opinion.

Minokamo's persimmons

Scarecrow

Finally, I have thrown in random photos that I took over the years. Minokamo may not be much of a town but it certainly has its charms, many of which I have tried to capture with my picture taking skills.

Blossom time

Boat on river

Harvest season

Forest guardian

Snow at school

Train lights

Sakahogi

This is kind of an honorable mention because Sakahogi is smaller and less known than Minokamo. It is the adjacent town, and the place where my apartment is. Half my time in the area I've been living here. There are many fields and houses and little else beside a big pachinko parlor which is always busy. Since pachinko is a type of gambling I consider it a social vice.

Hornet outside my apartment

Pachinko in the distance

Rice fields

Gero

Here we have a hot spring town. There are plenty of these in Japan, but Gero stands out because it is ranked among the top three. Supposedly, the thermal waters in the area are rich in minerals that are good for the body. I've been there often and the water smells like boiled egg with a tinge of sulfur. A half hour of soaking does make me feel somewhat rejuvenated. The question  is whether this experience is superior to that of other hot springs. It is difficult to say.

Double waterfall

Shrine

Fireworks festival

In the hot spring

Gifu City

The largest city in the prefecture goes by the same name. It has a castle on a mountain. At the foot of said mountain is a park which has an insect museum, and not too far from there is the Gifu Buddha. These are the places tourists should check out.

Mountainside shrine

Gifu Buddha

Castle

Insect museum

I sometimes go to Gifu City for the nightlife. There are no clubs that I know of, but in and around the station are bars, izakayas and live houses. One place I have frequented is a foreign hangout called Marquee. An Australian runs it, and plenty of Japanese drop by too. It is either that place or one of the izakayas directly north of Gifu Station for beer and fun.

Live show

Near station

Marquee Bar

Tajimi

This is the southernmost city in Gifu and serves as a bed town for Nagoya. A direct train line runs between the two for easy transport. Due to its position on a low lying plain in a landlocked area, Tajimi also has the distinction of being the hottest place in Japan. A few summers ago it broke the record when it measured 41 degrees.

Always passing through Tajimi Station

Kozumi Station and snow

Yaotsu

During the Second World War a Japanese man was working at a Japanese Consulate in Lithuania. This was during the Nazi march eastward. All the Jews in the area knew they were doomed, but there was nowhere for them to go because the Russians would shoot them before letting them in without a proper visa. The Japanese man at the consulate, as it happened, could issue such a visa to allow onward travel to Japan. Knowing very well it was against the rules to do so, he still went ahead and issued thousands. Jewish lives were saved, and the man became known as the "Japanese Schindler." His real name was Chiune Sugihara, and he was born in Yaotsu. A commemorative hall has been erected in the town in memory of him.

Bust of Sugihara

Commemorative pipes

Old factory

Yaotsu has a festival in spring during the cherry blossom season. Locals gather and pull large boat like shrines up a hill. I participated one year and nearly threw up from overexerting myself. And further up in the mountains on the edge of town is a waterfall that has three stages. I've been there plenty and taken the pictures to prove it. Five Treasure Falls as they call it, is one of my favorites in the area. I have even gone in and sat beneath the hard torrent of water to train as the samurai once had.

Top of the hill

Boat-like shrine

Hard water

In fall

And winter

Yoro

Unlike the other places mentioned here, Yoro is a town I have only been able to visit once. It is on the very west end of the prefecture. When I went, the maple trees were at the peak of their color change. This drew in thousands of Japanese tourists who love to admire the seasonal shifts. Most make the walk to Yoro Falls, a famous local attraction. On that same side of town is the Park of Reversible Destiny. The park was created with exhibits that are meant to challenge one's way of thinking. It is a rather bizarre place, but well worth a visit.

Yoro city

Park of Reversible Destiny

Amazed boy

Teahouse

Osaka

This town is not to be confused with the large city which shares its name. The two are in fact nothing alike. Osaka is a very small town with one main road and little else. However, within a short driving distance are several waterfalls. Gifu has more of them than any other prefecture in Japan, and Osaka has a high concentration. But many are a pain to get to. They require driving along dirt roads, and then hiking on narrow trails.

The town 

Trickle of a waterfall

Monks make an offering

Takasu

This is a town way up in the mountains that is spread across a wide area. You wont find much of anything up here apart from nature, cabins and ski courses. So it is the perfect place to get away from the big city and enjoy a nice weekend. 

Browsing 

Fancy cabin

Waterfall fun

Another day ends

Ogaki

This is a former castle town that still has old style canals in the city center. Unfortunately, Ogaki Castle is a recent reconstruction. The same can be said about all the castles in Gifu Prefecture. But I think it still warrants a visit. The canals are quite pleasant, and a nearby pond has Japanese carp. I like to feed them sliced bread and watch as they punch holes through the floating slices with their pucker mouths. A famous poet, Basho, is also commemorated in Ogaki. He created several haiku poems during his travels on the Nakasendo road.

Ogaki Castle

Statue of Basho

Temple at night

Takayama

Takayama is the other big city in Gifu Prefecture. It is high up in the mountains and rather isolated. In winter the area receives a great deal of snowfall, making it one of the snowiest places on earth. Traditionally, the country's finest carpenters came from the area, and they were often called upon to build temples in Kyoto and elsewhere. The city is off the beaten track, and few foreigners visit it.

Temple gate

Old office building

Snowy street

Torchlight

Back alley

Hida

Up a bit from Takayama in the northernmost part of Gifu is Hida. This town has a few canals that run along traditional style streets with carp flowing through them. There are some hot springs in the area too that draw people in from wide and far. Hida takes its name form the old Hida province that was later merged into Gifu Prefecture. Anyhow, the region has its own beef which comes from black short-haired steers. This meat is famous for  its marbled, fatty texture. In the past the cows had little land to pasture and move around in the mountainous area so they grew fat and lazy over the generations. Now the Japanese have developed a liking for this type of beef.

Kids play with the big fish

Typical shrine

Hida beef bowl and soba noodles

Shirakawa-go

Traditional style houses called gasshozukuri make this town a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I've visited three times, and while it's nice, Shirakawa-go can't compare to many of the other magnificent heritage sites I've seen throughout the globe, or in Japan for that matter. The town becomes inundated with tourists, most of whom are Japanese. But it is rather pleasant while walking among the houses so long as you do not spend too much time on the main road.

Village from above

Gasshozukuri house 

Tourists arrive

Starry night

Hichiso

Hichiso is a small town along the Hida river. Tea fields make up much the landscape. But what is interesting about Hichiso is that there are beautiful ravines cut by the Hida River in this area, as well as a natural rock garden. For years I had known about these natural features, but only located them recently, and it was well worth the effort.

Hida River

Tea fields

Hida again

Kakamigahara

Kakamigahara is basically an extension of Gifu City. There are tracts of houses, concrete buildings and a large Aeon Mall. Because the mall is the closest one to where I live, I have gone often, and it's always packed. Besides that there is an Aerospace Museum and Self Defense Forces base.

AEON Mall

Strange mannequins

WWI era plane

Aerospace Museum

Chillin'

In spring, like in so many other places, there is a festival. But this one is quite unique because the people carry shrines lit with fireworks. It goes on until evening and gets crowded with spectators. I went once and was impressed. Many festivals have the portable shrines or fireworks, but never do they combine the two. Why not have the best of both worlds?  The people in Kakamigahara get this.

Cherry blossoms

Carrying a shrine

On fire

I must also say that Kagamigahara is where I first played Airsoft in Japan. I joined a group of locals and we went and shot each other with our replica guns. But not to worry because the guns only shoot plastic pellets. And the accuracy and range of these guns are very impressive, so much so that taking a powerful up close shot is rare. Even then it wont do much damage as long as the pellet does not hit you in the eye, which it shouldn't because everyone uses masks or goggles.

Aim and Fire

The terrorists never win

Toki

Toki is a city on the south side of Gifu Prefecture.  The Premium Outlets mall there draws in people from around the region. It is an American style mall with several shops difficult to find otherwise in Japan. I went there once, bought nothing and took no pictures. Toki is also known for its pottery. They have factories set up to produce large quantities of it. But again I've only seen but never bought the stuff. Nor do I have pictures. However, I did take my camera with me to Sogi Park. This is the place in Toki people go to to see maple trees in fall. The reflecting ponds make for a spectacular sight. I learned there that shallow water makes the surface still and more reflective.

Night colors 

Perfect reflection

Kani

This is a city across the river from Minokamo. Its most notable features are a large Performing Arts Center and the Hanafesta Flower Park. There is also a considerable foreign population there, one made up of mostly Brazilians, Chinese and Filipinos. These migrant workers earn their living at the factories in Kani. The largest is Kayaba, a car parts producer, and across the street from that factory is Joe's, the finest Brazilian restaurant that I have been to in Japan.

Kani on left, Minokamo on right

Outside the Performing Arts Center

Lunch at Joe's

Amazonian fish

Hanafesta is quite impressive. It has the largest collection of rose bushes in the country as well as Japanese Cherry trees and Japanese maples. The large variety of plants and trees flower at different times of the year, so there is always something to see. I should know. I have visited the park during all the seasons.

Rose garden

Pond

Fall leaves

Nakatsugawa

The town of Nakatsugawa forms the southeast side of Gifu Prefecture. It is nestled between mountains and makes up part of the Nakasendo Road. One of the way stops Magome-juku has been restored and is similar to what it was 150 years ago. One can walk from there through the Kiso Valley onto Nagano prefecture. I have made that trip on two occasions and it was very nice.

Magome-juku

In the valley

Cherry blossom

The path continues on

Seki

Seki's claim to fame is that many traditional Japanese sword makers live and work there. One is my friend Shinsuke. He makes them at a workshop beside his house. With a large furnace he melts down a mix of fine metallic sand, and then works the carbon steel into a blade. Another artisan polishes the completed blade, and a second person might engrave it if that is what the buyer wants. And yet another person will attach the blade to a handle and hand guard. Nowadays, no one person makes a Japanese sword by himself.

Katanas start as sand

Discarded blades

At the forge

Seki also has a hamburger joint called Texas Burger. The owner is a Japanese man who spent several years in America, but his burgers aren't really that authentic. Like most Japanese burgers the hamburger does not have enough girth, and the buns at Texas Burger are oddly sweet. Plus the guy will not give ketchup with the fries, and appears insulted if you ask for it.  "You don't need it. They're already seasoned," he will say with a sour expression on his face.

Texas burger

In Gifu there are three major rivers, the Hida, Nagara, and Kiso. Interestingly, these three all become one before pouring out into the Pacific Ocean. But not in Gifu. While the Hida and Kiso join up in Minokamo, the Nagara flows freely through Seki and onward to Gifu City. It's river bank makes for a good BBQ spot.

At a BBQ

Big meat

Nagara River

Mino

Mino is north of Seki, and at the foot of the Northern Japanese Alps. It has a traditional looking town center with narrow streets. Every October a lantern festival is held there. Hundreds of them will be on display, and people come to see them at night when they are lit up. Unsurprisingly, the town is famous for lantern making, and there are many shops that sell traditional Japanese lanterns.

Traditional street

Old light house

Lanterns

Up close

Posing

Gujo Hachiman

Gujo Hachiman is special. For one it is a mountain town where the people preserve much of their traditional way of life. There are no major stores or fast food chain restaurants. And the tallest building is a hotel that is six floors. The layout is mostly residential with wooden facaded houses on narrow roads.  From the look of the place, it is easy to see that the locals pride themselves on maintaining a small town feel.

A friend

Bike and bridge

Gujo Hachiman Castle

What I like about Gujo is its unique charms. In August, for example, the city has an Obon Festival. For the entire month people dance around a portable shine late into the night. Since it is a traditional festival, the people wear kimonos and yukatas. Moreover, the town is a place known for sample food (fake food used for display purposes in front of restaurants). The man who pioneered sample food was from the town and set up factories. Now, visitors can buy key chains and other souvenirs that resemble real food.

Shrine

Crowds dance

Big melon pan

Astro Boy and pizza

Heart of Japan

Gifu is the center-most prefecture in Japan. I've always thought that this makes it the heart of the country.  No coastline reaches Gifu. The land is made up largely of rugged peaks with river plains in the south. There is much to see and do, and I have experienced my share of fun and adventure while living here. Yet come April I will move on to another part of the country. So I bid the prefecture goodbye.