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While international travellers often explore Gifu Prefecture, they usually don’t actually visit its capital, Gifu City. Located barely outside of Nagoya, the city of Gifu hides within its vast metropolitan area.
What people don’t realise is that there are some great things to do in Gifu that make it well worth visiting. So, whether it’s a day trip from Nagoya or to replace Nagoya, here’s what there is to do in Gifu City.
Getting to Gifu City
As I’ve said, the city of Gifu is really just on the outskirts of Nagoya. So, the first rule of thumb to getting here is to go to Nagoya.
It’s especially easy to reach Gifu Station from Nagoya Station; it’s just a 20-minute train ride on the Tokaido Line local or rapid services. There is also a private railway connecting the two, the Meitetsu-Limited Express, but it’s more expensive and not really any more convenient.
One thing to note is that Gifu Station is way down the southern end of the city. That puts it a long walk to the city’s main attractions. You can walk, I did, but it’s hardly the most efficient approach. Instead, just take local buses to get around.
Where to stay in Gifu City
When planning to visit Gifu, you need to choose between doing a day trip and staying in the city.
In the odd chance you do choose to stay in Gifu City, I’ll give you a quick list of your best options. I chose to stay in nearby Ogaki, but it would have made just as much sense to stay in Gifu City or even Nagoya.
The following are some of the best-rated places to stay in the city of Gifu:
Places to visit in Gifu City
Just because Gifu City is easy to visit doesn’t mean it’s automatically worthwhile. That’s where the city’s attractions come in. I won’t include all Gifu attractions, for instance, smaller ones such as the Kogane Shrine and the Yanagasedori shopping street.
It’s these things to do in Gifu City that make it worth visiting and why I recommend it to people looking to see more of Japan.
Inaba Shrine
A great place to start in Gifu is with the Inaba Shrine.
This Shinto shrine is tucked into a valley of the hills east of the city center. Lush forest surrounds the shrine on three sides, giving it a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.
Walking up to the shrine, you’re first met with the Zenkō-ji Buddhist pavilion, which looks rather typical, except for some golden embellishments. But make sure you don’t stop there.
Follow the path up to the right, and you’ll reach the heart of the Inaba Shrine. Here, there are torii gates, waterfalls, sculptures, and more to see. Oh, and it’s almost 2000 years old, dating from 85 AD!
It’s one of the most beautiful Shinto shrines I’ve seen in Japan, and yet it receives very few international visitors.
Domestic travellers know it, though, as Inaba Shrine is the focal point for the Gifu Festival in April, as well as other religious holidays in the city.
Gifu Castle
Generally, if people have heard of Gifu City, it’s because of Gifu Castle.
This textbook Japanese castle tower sits high up on Mount Kinka overlooking the city. It’s a modern rebuild, similar to nearby Ogaki Castle, as so many Japanese castles are. Tokugawa forces badly damaged the original in 1600 when it fell just before the famous Battle of Sekigahara.
To visit Gifu Castle, you have two options. The hard way is to hike up. Most people take the ropeway cable car.
Tickets for the Mt. Kinka Ropeway are 1,300 yen return, and you’re given a set time for the trip up when you buy them. If it’s busy, like it was for me, that wait can easily be 30 minutes or more.
Once you reach the top ropeway station, you’ll need to walk a bit to still reach Gifu Castle. The castle has its own entrance fee, but it’s very small. Exhibits inside the castle are ok, but the best bit about visiting is the view from its top floor.
Note: Gifu Castle is temporarily closed and scheduled to re-open in November 2027.
For enjoying the mountain’s views without going all the way to the castle, visit the Kinkazan Observatory near the ropeway station. Here you get a sweeping panorama of the landscape, from the distant hills to the broad river flowing through Gifu. You may even be able to see Nagoya in the distance, depending on the haze.
Gifu Park
To reach Gifu Castle, you first need to go to Gifu Park. That’s where the lower station is for the ropeway cable car.
But Gifu Park is a really nice place to explore, whether you’re waiting for your turn on the cable car or have finished with the castle.
The park gardens are a nice place to stroll, with scenic ponds, lawns, and leisure spaces. It also has kiosks with food, coffee, and souvenirs to check out.
Head up into the foothills around the ropeway station, and you find the park’s main landmarks. On one side lies the historical remains of Odu Nobunaga’s palace residence and a little information on their history.
A short walk under the ropeway and you find a beautiful three-tiered pagoda that looks almost swallowed up by the local forest.
Over by the park’s fountain, you can visit several museums, including the Nawa Insect Museum and the Gifu City Museum of History. I didn’t visit either, but I can imagine families with young kids might like the insect museum.
Old Town of Kawaramachi
Look around downtown Gifu, and you’ll mostly see 20th-century buildings. It’s a place that feels relatively modern.
For a slice of Gifu’s older self, you need to head to the Old Town of Kawaramachi, a comfortable walk from Gifu Park.
This small historical area centers on one street lined with wooden houses and traditional elements. It’s a street similar to those of the Kiso Valley, but much less busy and slightly less complete or grand.
It’s also not too touristy, with only a few cafes and restaurants among its homes and regular businesses.
If you need more convincing to come to Kawaramachi, then let me tell you about its local canal. Besides its little waterfall section, what I really want to share is this below, the cutest levee you’ll ever find.
Nagara River
There’s really only one reason to seek out the Nagara River in Gifu.
That is because the river is famous for Ukai, the practice of cormorant fishing. It’s not the only place where fishermen use this ancient technique of trained cormorants, but in Japan, it’s most commonly associated with Gifu.
Every evening during the warmer months, you can see fishermen perform this traditional act. For the best view, book an evening boat cruise with dinner.
You can also learn more about this traditional practice by crossing the river from Kawaramachi to visit the Nagaragawa Ukai Museum.
I missed all of this on my day trip, but I was definitely curious.
Shobo-ji Temple
Last, but not least, we have one more place of worship in Gifu.
The Shobo-ji Temple is just a few blocks southwest of Gifu Park. While this Buddhist temple only dates from the early 19th century, it doesn’t look it. That’s because the builders used centuries-old techniques to build this outwardly humble temple.
Look inside, and you’ll find one of Japan’s largest Buddha statues. Completed in 1832, this towering Buddha is made from bamboo, clay, paper, lacquer, and gold leaf. You can plainly see where the gilding has worn away, which I feel makes it seem older than it is.
You can read about its history at the site, but seeing this huge statue is the main reason to stop by.
