Stand on the ropeway platform on Mount Kinka and the whole shape of Gifu becomes clear: the Nagara River cutting through the plain below, the city spreading out to the south, and the mountains closing in behind you. This is a city built around a river, a castle mountain and a fishing tradition that has run for centuries.
Gifu suits travellers who want history and landscape in the same afternoon, and who are happy to plan around a river at dusk rather than a nightlife district. It works well as a day trip from Nagoya or as a base for a slower look at central Japan.
This guide covers the sights and experiences in the city itself, with practical notes on timing and what to combine with what.
Top things to do in Gifu
1. Gifu Castle
Gifu Castle sits atop Mount Kinka, and the main attraction is the 360-degree panoramic view from the top floor. Oda Nobunaga used the castle as a headquarters when unifying Japan; the original was destroyed in 1601 after the Battle of Sekigahara, and the current structure was completed in 1956 and renovated in 1997. Inside there is a small museum with armour, swords and maps.
Admission is ¥200. The castle is open for night viewing in the summer, and hours run 09:30-16:30, extending until 22:00 from July 30 to August 31. Combine it with the ropeway or a hike up Mount Kinka, and allow time for the museum on the top floor before you head back down.
2. Cormorant Fishing (Ukai)
Cormorant fishing takes place on the Nagara River between May 11 and October 15, and Gifu is the only place where the tradition has continued uninterrupted for 1,300 years. You can watch by boarding a viewing boat or from the banks of the river; most of the action is upriver from Nagara-bashi. If the fishing master is at home, he will explain the traditional method in detail.
Tour boats begin embarking from about 18:00 for those serving dinner aboard, continuing until 18:30 or 19:00, a little later at the peak of summer. The night-fishing show begins after dark, around 20:00 or later in summer, and finishes by 21:00 — in time to reach a train station and return to Nagoya on a day trip.
3. Mount Kinka
Mount Kinka is a 329-metre peak next to Gifu Park, with good views of the Nagara River and the city below. On top are Gifu Castle, a small castle museum and a squirrel park. Most people take the ropeway; alternatively you can hike through the forest on the shorter, steeper hyaku-magari ('100-bend') trail or the longer, gentler nana-magari ('7-bend') trail.
Either hiking trail takes over an hour, and good hiking footwear is recommended, especially on the hyaku-magari trail. The meiso no komichi trail is easier, with some steep sections, while the uma no se ('horseback') trail is direct and more demanding. Ropeway round trip is ¥1050, ¥520 for children; museum ¥200; squirrel park ¥200. Buses from the train station run to Gifu Park.
4. Gifu Park
Gifu Park is open around the clock and offers scenery all year round. Within it you will find a statue of Nobunaga, the Oda Nobunaga Palace Ruins, the Kabukimon, the Gifu City Museum of History and the Nawa Insect Museum.
Because so much is clustered here, it makes sense to treat the park as the base for a half-day: arrive by bus from the train station, see the park sights, then continue up Mount Kinka or walk to Shōhō-ji.
5. Shōhō-ji
The Gifu Daibutsu, a Great Statue of Buddha, stands in the Colossal Hall of the Great Buddha at Kinpōzan Shōhō-ji Temple, southwest of Gifu Park. The statue is basketwork-style, painted with lacquer and plated gold, and is the largest Buddha statue of this type in Japan. It contains an image of the Yakushi-nyorai made by Jikaku-daishi.
It pairs naturally with a visit to Gifu Park, being a short walk away, and is an easy addition to a Mount Kinka day without much extra planning.
6. Gifu City Museum of History
This museum has exhibition corners where you can experience history while being introduced to it. In particular, the Castle Town of the Warring States Period is displayed in-scale, and the Rakuichi-ba has been restored — the free market established by Oda Nobunaga to promote the castle town economy by drawing in merchants.
It sits inside Gifu Park, so combine it with the park's other sights and the Nawa Insect Museum in the same visit.
7. Nawa Insect Museum
The Nawa Insect Museum has been open since 1919 and is the oldest insect museum in Japan. Familiar insects as well as rare and attractive species from around the world are exhibited, and the museum also sells entomology tools and holds talks about insects. The building itself is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
It is at Omiyacho 2-18 and is open daily 10:00-17:00. Since it sits within Gifu Park, it works well as a stop between the park's other sights.
8. Katō Eizō-Tōichi Memorial Art Museum
Established in 1991, this museum celebrates the Japanese artists Eizo and Toichi Kato, both born in Gifu. It houses paintings by the Kato brothers and holds a variety of exhibitions for locals.
It is at Omiyacho 1-46, inside Gifu Park, which makes it an easy companion to the Gifu City Museum of History and the Nawa Insect Museum.
9. Kogane Shrine
Kogane Shrine is a historic shrine said to bring monetary fortune, and it is known for its unique gold torii gate. It stands within Kogane Park, a popular gathering place for locals, but people typically do not venture onto the shrine grounds, so it stays peaceful despite the bustle around it.
It makes a calm pause between other stops rather than a destination in itself.
10. The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu
The museum holds approximately 3,000 works, including a world-famous collection of Odilon Redon, and covers broad fields with an emphasis on local, modern and contemporary artists. Temporary exhibitions are held periodically, and there are exhibition-related events such as talks, lectures, workshops and performances. There is also a garden of 20,000 trees and a stream.
Allow time for the garden as well as the galleries, since the grounds are part of the visit.
11. Sankō Art Museum
Sankō Art Museum is located on a hill and affords a view of Mount Kinka, in a quiet area surrounded by Sarastewartia trees. It houses tea utensils and paintings, including works by Renoir, Chagall and Ryuzaburo Umehara, in a lavish setting.
Admission is ¥1200 and includes your choice of coffee, tea, green tea, cola or juice, served with a view of the central garden. The setting makes it a slower, quieter stop than the park museums.
12. Gifu City Science Museum
The science museum has a planetarium and many exhibits that can be operated and touched. It is an intellectual place to learn through experiences.
It suits a change of pace from the historical sights, and works well for families or for a rainy stretch of the day.
13. Nagara River Fireworks Festival
Held on the last Saturday in July and the first Saturday in August, with fireworks starting at 19:00, this is actually two events, each sponsored by a rival local newspaper, the Chunichi Shinbun and the Gifu Shinbun. The rivalry produces two displays on the banks of the Nagara River, set against the backdrop of Mount Kinka.
If you miss out on a seat, the bridge makes a good vantage point to stand and watch, but wear comfortable shoes, as the displays last around 90 minutes. Special buses run from Meitetsu Gifu and JR Gifu Stations from 16:30 onwards. Food stalls line the upper banks, and the return buses are very crowded, so the 40-minute walk back to the city centre may be easier.
If you only have one day
Morning: Take a bus from the train station to Gifu Park and start with the Gifu City Museum of History, then the Nawa Insect Museum and the Katō Eizō-Tōichi Memorial Art Museum, all within the park. Walk southwest to Shōhō-ji to see the Gifu Daibutsu.
Afternoon: Ride the ropeway up Mount Kinka to Gifu Castle, taking in the panoramic view from the top floor and the small museum inside. If you prefer to walk, choose the nana-magari trail for the gentler route, or the hyaku-magari for the steeper one, allowing over an hour either way.
Evening: Head to the Nagara River for cormorant fishing. Boats begin embarking from about 18:00, with the night-fishing show beginning after dark, around 20:00 or later in summer, and finishing by 21:00. If your visit falls on the last Saturday in July or the first Saturday in August, watch the Nagara River Fireworks Festival instead, starting at 19:00.
Frequently asked questions
When can I see cormorant fishing in Gifu?
Cormorant fishing runs from May 11 to October 15 on the Nagara River. Tour boats begin embarking from about 18:00 until 18:30 or 19:00, and the night-fishing show begins after dark, around 20:00 or later in summer, finishing by 21:00.
How do I get to the top of Mount Kinka?
Most people take the ropeway, which costs ¥1050 round trip, or ¥520 for children. Alternatively you can hike, using either the shorter, steeper hyaku-magari trail or the longer, gentler nana-magari trail; each takes over an hour, and good hiking footwear is recommended.
What does it cost to enter Gifu Castle?
Castle admission is ¥200. The castle is open 09:30-16:30, and until 22:00 from July 30 to August 31 for night viewing. The castle museum on Mount Kinka also charges ¥200, and the squirrel park ¥200.
Can I visit Gifu as a day trip?
Yes. The night-fishing show finishes by 21:00, in time to get back to a train station and return to Nagoya for those on a day trip. Special buses also run from Meitetsu Gifu and JR Gifu Stations for the fireworks festival from 16:30 onwards.
Decide whether your visit falls in cormorant fishing season or fireworks season, then build the rest of your day around Gifu Park and Mount Kinka.