[Gifu Travel Guide] Discover a Journey Through Traditional Culture Protected by Deep Nature

Day 1 of the model course begins at Takayama Nohi Bus Center, located just outside the east exit of Takayama Station.
After an Approx. 50-minute bus ride, you will arrive at your first destination, Shirakawa-go.

Shirakawa-go is a beautiful area where Japan’s original rural scenery still remains today.
It has the largest number of gassho-style houses, with just over 100 buildings of various sizes still standing.
It is the largest gassho-style village in Japan and has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
In 1995, it was also registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
The central group of gassho-style houses is located in the Ogimachi district, slightly north of the center of the village.
Visit places such as the Gassho-zukuri Minkaen, where you can try traditional cultural experiences like plant dyeing and straw sandal making, and the local history museum, and learn about the wisdom of old lifestyles lived in harmony with nature.

As you stroll through Shirakawa-go, head to your next stop, Wada House.
Among the buildings in Shirakawa-go, Wada House is one of the largest and the only one designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
The Wada family home, which dates back to 1573, was a distinguished household that served as checkpoint officials and village heads during the Edo period and was permitted to bear a surname and sword. It is said that more than 20 people once lived there.
The three-story house is still used as a residence today. The first and second floors are open to the public, and visitors can tour the interior.
Experience what daily life was like in those days, passed down since the Edo period.

Walk Approx. 20 minutes from Wada House and head to Ogimachi Castle Ruins Observatory, a popular viewpoint overlooking the gassho-style village from above.
Ogimachi Castle was a small mountain castle built on Shiroyama, Approx. 60 meters above the foot of the mountain, measuring about 60 meters east to west and about 50 meters north to south, and remains such as earthen ramparts can still be seen today.
The nostalgic landscape of the Ogimachi village, where gassho-style thatched roofs dot peaceful rural scenery, changes with the seasons.
The most popular view is especially the snowy winter landscape.
Take in this scenery, often described as Japan’s original rural landscape, and make it a lasting memory.

After enjoying Japan’s original rural scenery, walk to Shirakawa-go Bus Center.
Take the bus to Takayama Nohi Bus Center, then walk Approx. 5 minutes to reach Hida Takayama Old Town, where streets from the Edo period still remain today.
Because of its charming townhouses and long-established shop curtains lining the streets, it is also called a town where Japan’s original scenery remains.
Sake breweries, cafés renovated from old houses, and variety shops line the area, so you can enjoy not only shopping but also Gifu’s local specialty foods.
Have lunch at one of the nearby restaurants and try a dish made with Hida beef.

After an Approx. 10-minute walk from the Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall, you will arrive at the next stop, Takayama Jinya.
Takayama Jinya was a government office where officials such as local magistrates and district governors carried out administrative affairs during the Edo period, and it consists of offices, official residences, and storehouses.
It is said that there were more than 60 such shogunate outposts across the country in the late Edo period, but Takayama Jinya is the only one where the main buildings from that time still remain, and it has been designated as a National Historic Site.
Enjoy a rich sense of history that you cannot experience anywhere else.

Walk from Takayama Jinya to JR Takayama Station, then take the train to Gero Onsen.
On Day 1, stay at Yunoshimakan, a ryokan in Gero Onsen, a historic hot spring whose source was discovered in the 900s and was dearly loved by Oda Nobunaga.
It was built halfway up Mt. Nakane, also called “Gero Fuji,” so guests can enjoy a relaxing stay surrounded by nature.
Designed around the theme of blending traditional wooden Japanese architecture with modern Western-style architecture, the inn has a retro-modern atmosphere inside despite its long history.
Enjoy the inn’s expansive garden of 50,000 tsubo and its charming interior, then relax in the open-air bath while taking in views of the Hida mountains.

Day 2 begins with a stroll around Gero Onsen.
Enjoy the charms of Gero Onsen that you may not have had time to fully experience on Day 1.

Located Approx. a 15-minute walk from Gero Station, Onsenji Temple is known for its quiet, hidden-away feel and solemn atmosphere.
It also matches the historic townscape of the Gero Onsen hot spring district.
The temple grounds lie beyond a climb of 173 stone steps, and the townscape of Gero City spreads out below.
Cherry blossoms can be seen in spring and fall foliage in autumn, so you can enjoy Japan’s seasonal beauty here.

Be sure to stop by Gero Hot Spring Museum, located right near Onsenji Temple.
This nationally rare museum is themed around hot springs and explores them from both cultural and scientific perspectives.
It will not only help you enjoy Gero Onsen more, but also give you a deeper understanding of Japanese hot springs themselves.

Gero Onsen has many footbaths, so take some time to visit them and rest your feet after all the walking on your trip.
Some facilities even let you soak your feet while enjoying sweets.
Enjoy the many different types of footbaths and take in the charm of Gero Onsen’s hot spring town.

After finishing your footbath tour around Gero Onsen, head to a nearby restaurant for lunch.
For lunch, the local specialty keichan is highly recommended.
Keichan is a home-style dish made by stir-frying chicken and vegetables together with a special sauce.
The seasoning varies by household and restaurant, but miso, soy sauce, and salt-based flavors are common.
Its bold, addictive flavor is what makes it so appealing.

After lunch, walk to JR Gero Station and take the train to JR Gifu Station.
From JR Gifu Station, take a bus to the Kinkazan Ropeway.
From the boarding point in Gifu Park at the foot of Mt. Kinka, where Gifu Castle stands, it takes Approx. 4 minutes to reach the summit at an elevation of 329 meters.
This historic ropeway first opened in 1955, and the current one is its sixth generation.
Enjoy the view from the ropeway as you make your way to the next spot.

After leaving Kinkazan Summit Station, you will arrive at Squirrel Village, where you can play with squirrels.
Opened in 1965, it was Japan’s first “squirrel village” at the time, created by taming wild squirrels over many years.
Spend some time with these adorable squirrels and enjoy a relaxing moment.

Just a short walk from Squirrel Village brings you to Gifu Castle.
Gifu Castle is the symbol of Gifu City, with its keep standing atop Mt. Kinka at an elevation of 329 meters.
It is a famous castle known not only as the residence of Saito Dosan during the Sengoku period, but also as the place where Oda Nobunaga became lord and made it his base for unifying the country.
Inside the building is an exhibition room focusing on Nobunaga and Gifu Castle.
From the top-floor observation deck, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view.

After enjoying the view from Gifu Castle, take the Kinkazan Ropeway down the mountain once again.
After descending, enjoy Gifu Nagara River Cormorant Fishing, held Approx. a 15-minute walk away.
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which trained cormorants are skillfully used to catch river fish.
In this fishing method carried out from a cormorant boat, the cormorant master controls the birds while handling as many as 12 hand ropes.
Board a boat and witness the masterful technique born from the bond between the cormorant master and the birds, who are cared for like family.