Gifu

Gifu is the capital of Gifu prefecture, Japan. Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu. Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō. During the Sengoku period, many people referred to Gifu by saying, "control Gifu and you control Japan."

Gifu has many popular tourist attractions, bringing visitors to all parts of the prefecture. The most popular places are Gifu, Gero, Shirakawa and Takayama. Gifu is famous for cormorant fishing, which has a history of over 1,300 years, as for being a long-term residence of both Oda Nobunaga and Saitō Dōsan. Gero is known for its relaxing hot springs, which attract visitors throughout the year. Shirakawa's historic villages are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Takayama is famous for retaining its original appearance and is often referred to as Little Kyoto.

In addition to international tourists, Gifu also plays host to many international events. The World Event and Convention Complex Gifu is available for many types of events. Other areas of Gifu, too, bring international events, such as in 2005 when the World Rowing Championships were held in the city of Kaizu. Chubu International Airport (NGO) is the nearest airport to Gifu. Meitetsu trains run directly from the airport to the Meitetsu Gifu station three times per hour at a cost of ¥1310 for an unreserved seat, or ¥1660 for a reserved seat; seat reservations are mandatory on the limited-stop μSKY trains. The trip takes about one hour.

Ukai (cormorant fishing) occurs every year between May 11th and October 15th on the Nagara River. Gifu City is the only place where this tradition has continued uninterrupted for 1300 years. You can watch this spectacular event by boarding a viewing boat or watching from the banks of the river. Most of the action is upriver from Nagara-bashi. Tour boats begin embarking from about 6:00 pm (for those serving dinner aboard) until 6:30 or 7:00 (a bit later during the peak of summer). The night-fishing show begins after dark, around 8:00 pm or later during the summer months, and finishes by 9:00, in time to get back to a train station and return to Nagoya for those on a day trip.