Brazil
Antarctica
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Bermuda
Canada
the United States
Greenland
Mexico
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Egypt
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Province · Chubu
Gifu
Shirakawa-go and the gassho houses, Takayama’s old town, Hida Furukawa, Magome on the Nakasendo, Gujo Hachiman and cormorant fishing on the Nagara River.
In the photo: Gujo Hachiman Castle, in Gifu.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Gifu
Gifu is in central Japan, landlocked. The north, Hida, is mountainous and snowy; the south, Mino, is a plain cut by rivers. Seki has been making knives and swords for centuries, and Mino paper is part of UNESCO’s intangible heritage, alongside other washi papers.
Takayama preserves merchant streets from the Edo period, with dark wooden houses, sake breweries and two morning markets. The Takayama Jinya was the local shogunate government office. Twice a year, in April and October, the Takayama Festival parades decorated floats. Hida beef is served grilled or on skewers. Nearby, Hida Furukawa has canals with carp.
Shirakawa-go, in the Shō River valley, gathers very steep thatched-roof houses, the gassho-zukuri, which resemble hands in prayer and withstand the weight of snow. The village of Ogimachi has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, together with the villages of Gokayama in Toyama. A hill viewpoint shows the whole village. Some houses operate as museums and others host guests.
Gujo Hachiman is a town of canals and springs where, in summer, locals and visitors dance the Gujo Odori in the streets. In the city of Gifu, the castle stands atop Mount Kinka, and at night torchlit boats showcase cormorant fishing on the Nagara River. To the southeast, Magome is a post town on the Nakasendo, linked to Tsumago by a trail.
When to go
The Takayama Festival takes place in April and October. From summer to early autumn there is cormorant fishing, from May to October, and the Gujo Odori dances from July to September. The Hida mountains show fall colors in October, and the southern part of the prefecture in November. From December to February, snow covers Shirakawa-go, and on some winter nights the village is illuminated, with access controlled by reservation.
Getting there
The Hida limited express trains connect Nagoya to Takayama in about 2 hours 20 minutes, passing through Gifu. Buses link Takayama to Shirakawa-go in about 50 minutes and Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa in about 1 hour 15 minutes; there are also buses from Shinjuku to Takayama. Gifu city is about 20 minutes by train from Nagoya. For Magome, buses depart from Nakatsugawa Station on the JR Chuo Line.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Gifu
How do I get from Takayama to Shirakawa-go?
By bus, in about 50 minutes, with advance reservation recommended for the busiest times. The same buses continue to Kanazawa, and you can bring luggage, storing it in lockers near the village terminal.
Can you sleep in a gassho house in Shirakawa-go?
Yes. Some houses operate as small family-run guesthouses, offering dinner and breakfast. Availability is limited and fills up early, especially in winter.
When is the Takayama Festival held?
Twice a year: the spring festival in mid-April, and the autumn festival in early October. The decorated floats can be seen year-round in a museum beside Hachiman Shrine.
When can you see cormorant fishing in Gifu?
From May to mid-October, at night, on the Nagara River. Sightseeing boats accompany the fishermen, who guide the birds by torchlight. Fishing does not take place on full-moon nights nor when the river is in flood.
Beyond the guide
