Gifu.Gifu City

Gifu is situated in the northern part of the Nobi Plain in southern Gifu Prefecture. Gifu prospered as a castle town during the Kamakura Period (13th century).

Gifu Park, located at the foot of Mt. Kinka, contains a three-storied pagoda, the Gifu City Museum of History, the Nawa Insect Museum, and the boarding area for Kinka-zan Ropeway.

The Tejikarao Fire Festival, hosted every spring by Tejikarao Shrine, is a grand event, during which portable shrines are carried aloft amidst a rain of falling sparks.

Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River takes place from May 11th to October 15th every year. In this traditional fishing method, trained cormorants are used to catch ayu (a type of river trout). Cormorant fishing has taken place here since the 8th century and the cormorant fishing masters of the Nagara River are officially recognized by the Japanese Imperial Household. Visitors can enjoy cormorant fishing from onboard viewing boats between May 11th and October 15th.
The Nagara River is also the venue for Gifu City’s annual firework festivals, which boast the greatest number of fireworks in the country and attract large crowds every year.