Gifu Castle Travel Guide: Nobunaga Oda’s Base for Unifying Japan

Gifu Castle was once called Inabayama Castle.
It began in 1201, when an official of the Kamakura shogunate established a fortress on Mt. Kinka.
In the 15th century, it was developed by Dosan Saito, and in 1567 Nobunaga Oda became the lord of the castle and renamed it Gifu Castle.
It then became the castle Nobunaga Oda used as his base for unifying Japan.
After Nobunaga Oda’s death, it was abandoned in 1601 by order of Ieyasu Tokugawa.
In 1910, Japan’s first replica keep was reconstructed.
Though it was reduced to ashes in the 1943 war, donations from local residents helped complete the current reinforced-concrete keep in 1956, with three tiers and four floors.

The upper levels of Gifu Castle serve as an observatory, with views over the city and the Nagara River.
A 360-degree panorama stretches from Mt. Ena to the east and Mt. Ibuki to the west, from the Nobi Plain in the south to the Japanese Alps in the north.
At sunset, the scenery glows an astonishing golden hue.

City lights that feel completely different from daytime.
You can enjoy the panorama night view only during Golden Week, summer vacation, and the fall outing season.
Weather also affects it, and it is not held on weekdays from September to November.
Be sure to see the jewel-like nightscape for yourself.

Gifu Castle Museum sits next to the east side of Gifu Castle.
A building once used as a storage facility for rice, salt, and miso was restored in 1975 in the style of a castle corner turret, and it now exhibits arms and armor from the Sengoku to Edo periods.
Costumes and wax figures used in Taiga dramas are also on display.
There are also materials related to Nobunaga Oda and Dosan Saito, so stop by if you’re interested.

Tenka Daiichi no Mon is not an actual historic site, but a kabukimon gate built to honor Nobunaga Oda’s achievement as he set out from Gifu Castle toward unifying Japan.
A kabukimon gate consists of a horizontal beam placed across two pillars; this one is 4 m tall and 5.5 m wide.
It was installed on the summit of Mt. Kinka on the way to Gifu Castle in 1990 and renovated in 2020 due to age-related deterioration.

Gifu Castle was selected as one of Gifu Prefecture’s best fall foliage spots in the “Hida-Mino 33 Selections.”
Depending on the weather, the best time to see the leaves is usually from early to late November.
At Gifu Castle, you can see three types: Japanese maple, ginkgo, and lacquer tree.
The park below and the wider Mt. Kinka area turn bright red with maples, making for a scenic stroll.
If you’re sightseeing at Gifu Castle, autumn is recommended for the fall colors.

A park at the foot of Mt. Kinka, topped by Gifu Castle, and loved as a relaxing place for locals and visitors.
This area is said to have been the residence of Dosan Saito and Nobunaga Oda, lords of Gifu Castle during the Sengoku period, and you can see valuable historical assets such as “stone walls from Dosan’s era” and the “ruins of Nobunaga Oda’s residence,” which is still being excavated (as of July 2021).

Ukai is a traditional fishing method that skillfully uses cormorants to catch river fish.
Fishing from an ubune boat, the master fisherman controls the birds while handling up to 12 tethers.
You can watch these refined techniques—made possible by the bond between the fisherman and the cormorants, cared for like family—from the boat.
In Nobunaga Oda’s era, ukai evolved into something to be watched and admired.
It’s said that Nobunaga invited guests to ukai as a form of hospitality.
In the Edo period, it was protected by the shogunate, and later three sites along the Nagara River became imperial fishing grounds.

Its keep is one of only five castles in Japan designated as a National Treasure, and it’s famous for being considered the oldest surviving keep in Japan, with features of an early watchtower-style keep.
It is said to have been built in 1537 during the Muromachi period by Nobunaga Oda’s uncle, Nobuyasu Oda. Known as a “fortress of strong defense,” it stands on a small hill protected by the Kiso River behind it.
Together with the castle town, it became an important hub for trade, politics, and the economy.
Because it sat on the border between Owari and Mino, in the Sengoku period Nobunaga Oda, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa all tried to seize it, and the lord of the castle changed again and again.
In the Edo period, it was granted to Masanari Naruse, chief retainer of the Owari Domain, and the keep is said to have taken on its present form.

A restaurant near the summit station of the Gifu Kinkazan Ropeway, which connects Gifu Park with the summit of Mt. Kinka, where Gifu Castle stands.
From your seat you can enjoy sweeping views over Gifu City, and the open-air “Nobunaga Terrace” is also popular for dining.
It’s also open at night during the ropeway’s night service period, so you can enjoy dinner with beautiful night views.

An elegant, atmospheric traditional Japanese restaurant on the north bank of the Nagara River.
Originally an inn, the historic building is over 90 years old, with a two-story wooden structure featuring verandas and railings in a classic Japanese architectural style.
From each private room, you can open the shoji screens to enjoy views of the Nagara River and Mt. Kinka, making it a perfect choice for business entertaining and special celebrations.

A Japanese sweets shop near Nagaragawa Onsen, directly across from the Ukai Information Center.
With five locations in Gifu Prefecture, this Kawaramachi branch offers both dine-in and takeout.
In this hot spring area, it’s also used as a rest stop for travelers and a place to shop for souvenirs.