The Gifu prefecture (in Japanese: 岐阜 県 Gifu-ken) is a prefecture located in the center of the region of Chubu, on the Japanese island of Honshu. It has peaceful mountainous landscapes and traditional Japanese-style houses reminiscent of ancient Japan.
Understand
Self-proclaimed as the "Heart of Japan", The self-proclaimed "Heart of Japan", defining feature of the prefecture is the northern stretch of the Japanese alps, making it a top destination for the three popular Japanese hobbies: hiking "," skiing Y thermal waters . The southern extension of the prefecture, which houses most of the population and the capital Gifu, is largely rural.
Cities
- Gifu - the capital of the prefecture of the same name
- Hida - famous for its festivals and the old town around the Seto river
- My no - annually holds a Japanese paper lantern festival and contest in early October
- Seki - Known for its traditional iron smithy, including a demonstration and sale of high-quality household knives annual knife-making
- Tajimi
- Takayama - the castle town of the beautiful north Hida (飞 騨) region, with an excellent museum and some well-preserved houses
- Toki
- Yoro - small town with a park that houses the Reversible Destination site with its sloping surfaces and completely strange design intended to disorient visitors
Other places of interest
- Gero Onsen - one of the most famous hot springs cities in Japan
- Hakusan National Park
- Oku - Hida Onsen Villages - a series of small hot spring towns located in the mountains
- Sekigahara - site of an epic battle that ushered in the Tokugawa shogunate
- Shirakawa-go - famous for its traditional Gassho - zukuri houses
To get
By plane
The Meitetsu Gifu Line connects to Chubu Centrair International Airport up to 2 times per hour. The ride costs ¥ 1,310 for an hour.
By train
The Tokaido main line JR Gifu crosses on its way from Nagoya of Kyoto Y Osaka. The Tokaido Shinkansen also makes an isolation stop at the Hashima in the southern part of the prefecture.
From Tokyo Station, the best way to get to the center of Gifu is to take a Tokaido Shinkansen train (Nozomi ' or' Hikari) to Nagoya, then switch to a local Tokaido train line for the Gifu run. (2 1/4 hours total, through ¥ 11,190 ' Nozomi, ¥ 10,990 for Hikari ').
The same connection can be made that comes from Kyoto Y Osaka in Kansai, and from other stations on the Shinkansen network to the west.
Four shinkansen trains generally stop every hour, two in each direction, at the Gifu- Hashima station: the slow train '' Kodama, which makes all stops on the shinkansen route between Osaka and Tokyo, and a "" Hikari , which makes all the stops between Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya, and then it runs straight to Tokyo.
There is no charge to use the Hikari ' or' Kodama trains with the Japan Rail Pass.
By car
The center of Chūō Expressway, which largely follows the alignment of the Tokaido line, also passes through southern Gifu.
Travel
By train
The JR Takayama Main Line (高山 本 线 Takayama- Honsen ) Goes from Gifu through the length of the province, winding through the picturesque Hida Valley through Gero Onsen to Takayama, and beyond Inotani in the neighbor Toyama prefecture.
To eat
Gifu's best known specialty is Hoba miso (ほ う ば 味噌), a version of the ubiquitous Japanese bean paste grilled on a Hoba 'leaf and served as a bath or to eat with rice as it is. It sounds simple enough, but the taste is exquisite.
Gifu is as far from the sea as physically possible in Japan, so this is a place where seafood is not appreciated. Instead, Gifu is known for hida meat, marble thick with fat and very expensive. Products grown in the surrounding mountains are also famous, especially persimmons, chestnuts and mushrooms. A popular souvenir is kurikinton ' (栗 き ん と ん), a sweet steamed and mashed chestnuts with sugar and reconstitution of the chestnut-shaped dough.
Go out and drink
There are a number of excellent little sake factories in Gifu. Be on the lookout for the little one Niki SHUZO (二 木 酒 造; [1]) brewery brands, including Tamanoi (玉 の 井) and Himuro (冰 室).