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Gifu

Scenic Shirakawa-go and Gero's hot springs

About Gifu
Hilltop view over Shirakawa-go (Photo: Tom Roseveare / JT)

Top Attractions in Gifu

Gifu Top 10

  1. Furukawa Festival
    1

    Furukawa Festival

    Hida City
  2. Tejikara Fire Festival
    2

    Tejikara Fire Festival

    Gifu City
  3. Mino Festival
    3

    Mino Festival

    Mino
  4. Hida Ikibina Festival
    4

    Hida Ikibina Festival

    Takayama
  5. Suimu Shrine Festival
    5

    Suimu Shrine Festival

    Nakatsugawa
  6. Gifu Castle, Park and Ropeway
    6

    Gifu Castle, Park and Ropeway

    Gifu City
  7. Gujo Odori
    7

    Gujo Odori

    Gujo
  8. Sakurayama Wind Chime Festival
    8

    Sakurayama Wind Chime Festival

    Takayama
  9. 5 Destinations for Spring Flowers in Takayama
    9

    5 Destinations for Spring Flowers in Takayama

    Takayama
  10. Kuguno Hina Doll Exhibition
    10

    Kuguno Hina Doll Exhibition

    Takayama

Upcoming Gifu Events

Yubana Festival 2026
Culture

Yubana Festival 2026

Friday - May 15th

Every year on May 15th, the Yubana Festival is held at Hirayu Onsen in Takayama City. The event serves as a way for the local community..

Free Entry
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Where to eat in Gifu

Heianraku
Japanese

Heianraku

Anne Lauenroth

Enjoy delicious Chinese, Japanese and vegetarian food at lovely Heianraku, a cozy restaurant in Takayama.

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Ajidokoro Furukawa
Food

Ajidokoro Furukawa

Japan Travel

Ajidokoro Furukawa is a large machiya-style restaurant in the city center, located just over the road from Festival Square and its..

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Places to stay in Gifu

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Latest Gifu Reports

Bokka no Sato
Activities

Bokka no Sato

Kim Bergström

Located on the Hirugano Plateau in Gifu Prefecture, Bokka no Sato is a family-friendly park that offers a mix of nature, animal..

Mont Deus Snow Park
Activities

Mont Deus Snow Park

Kim Bergström

Mont Deus Ski Park in Takayama is a family-friendly ski destination offering wide, beginner-friendly slopes with excellent vis..

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About Gifu

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Chubu
Island Honshu
Capital Gifu City
Population 2,080,773
Area 10,621.29 km²

Located in the center of Honshu, Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県, Gifu-ken) has the distinction of being the place that changed modern Japanese history forever - the Battle of Sekigahara took place in 1600 in the Gifu town of the same name.

Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious, he and his successors ruled Japan for the next 268 years virtually unchallenged, Japan closed its doors to foreign trade, and Edo (present day Tokyo) became the major city of the country. Sekigahara aside, Gifu still has more than plenty to offer.

Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage Site, is beautiful all year round but especially breathtaking in the winter, while Gero Onsen is also a popular destination. Can’t make it to Kyoto? Try visiting Takayama, affectionately nicknamed “Little Kyoto.” Kuri-kinton, a chestnut sweet, is the local delicacy, but if you have room to splurge definitely have some Hida beef!

Around Gifu

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