is a prefecture of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

located in the Chūbu region of

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island se ...

. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders

Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...

to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest,

Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui Prefecture has a population of 778,943 (1 June 2017) and has a geographic area of 4,190 km2 (1,617 sq mi). Fukui Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the north, Gi ...

and

Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...

to the west,

Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefectur ...

to the southwest,

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

to the south, and

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

to the east. Gifu is the capital and largest city of Gifu Prefecture, with other major cities including

Ōgaki Ōgaki Castle is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 161,539, and a population density of 782 persons per km2 in 65,931 households. The total area of the city was . Ōgaki was the final destination for the h ...

Kakamigahara is a city located in southern Gifu Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,225, and a population density of 1700 persons per km2, in 59,736 households. The total area of the city was . Situated in the northern part o ...

, and

Tajimi is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 110,070 in 46,580 households, and a population density of 1200 people per km2. The total area of the city was . The city is famous for its production of Mino ware cera ...

. Gifu Prefecture is located in the center of Japan, one of only eight landlocked prefectures, and features the country's

center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...

. Gifu Prefecture has served as the historic

crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

of Japan with routes connecting the east to the west, including the

Nakasendō The , also called the ,Richard Lane, ''Images from the Floating World'' (1978) Chartwell, Secaucus ; pg. 285 was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 ...

, one of the Five Routes of the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

. Gifu Prefecture was a long-term residence of Oda Nobunaga and

Saitō Dōsan , also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤利政), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the for his ruthless tactics. His hono ...

, two influential figures of Japanese history in the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

, spawning the popular phrase of "control Gifu and you control Japan" in the late

Medieval era In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

.''Instant Gifu''. Gifu International Center, 1995. Gifu Prefecture is known for its traditional ''

Washi is traditional Japanese paper. The term is used to describe paper that uses local fiber, processed by hand and made in the traditional manner. ''Washi'' is made using fibers from the inner bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub (''E ...

'' paper industry, including

Gifu lanterns , or Gifu paper lanterns, are a special product of the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They have been labeled as one of Gifu's traditional crafts. Famed artist Isamu Noguchi designed a series of Gifu Lanterns that were entitled ''Akari'' ...

and

Gifu umbrellas , or Gifu Japanese umbrellas, are a special product of the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They have been labeled as one of Gifu's traditional crafts. History In 1639, the Matsudaira clan became rulers of the Kanō Domain and brought wit ...

, and as a center for the

Japanese swordsmithing Japanese swordsmithing is the labour-intensive bladesmithing process developed in Japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons ( ''nihonto'') including ''katana'', '' wakizashi'', ''tantō'', '' yari'', ''naginata'', '' nagamaki'', ''tachi' ...

and cutlery industries. Gifu Prefecture is home to

Gifu Castle is a Japanese castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city. The castle is also known as . It was designated a National Historic Site in 201 ...

, the 1,300-year-old tradition of

Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River has played a vital role in the history of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Throughout its long history, it evolved from a means to live, to a profitable industry, to a major tourist draw. It runs from May 11 to October 15 of each year (ex ...

, and the site of the Battle of Sekigahara.

History

The land area that makes up modern-day Gifu became part of the Yamato Court around the middle of the fourth century. Because it is in the middle of the island of

, it has been the site of many decisive battles throughout Japan's history, the oldest major one being the

Jinshin War The was a war of succession in Japan during the Asuka period of the Yamato state. It broke out in 672 following the death of Emperor Tenji. The name refers to the ''jinshin'' (壬申) or ninth year of the sixty-year Jikkan Jūnishi calendrica ...

in 672, which led to the establishment of Emperor Tenmu as the 40th emperor of Japan. The area of Gifu Prefecture consists of the old provinces of Hida and

Mino Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * Mi ...

, as well as smaller parts of Echizen and Shinano. The name of the prefecture derives from its capital city, Gifu, which was named by Oda Nobunaga during his campaign to unify all of Japan in 1567.Stone ledger in front of

Kashimori Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. From long ago, it has been considered a good place for married couples and children to go for good luck. One legend associated with Kashimori Shrine is that when Tenma, a ...

. Erected by Kashimori Shrine. The first character used comes from Qishan (岐山), a legendary mountain from which most of China was unified, whereas the second character comes from

Qufu Qufu ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Shandong province, East China. It is located about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefectural seat at Jining. Qufu has an area of 815 square kilometers, and a total population of ...

(曲阜), the birthplace of

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

.Gifu tour guide – Outline of Gifu Prefecture
. Gifu Prefecture Tourist Federation. Accessed September 9, 2007. Nobunaga chose those characters because he wanted to unify all of Japan and he wanted to be viewed as a great mind. Historically, the prefecture served as the center of swordmaking for the whole of Japan, with Seki being known for making the best swords in Japan. More recently, its strengths have been in fashion (primarily in the city of Gifu) and aerospace engineering (

). On October 28, 1891, the present-day city of

Motosu Usuzumizakura is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,453 in 12, 464 households, and a population density of 390 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Motosu is located in western Gi ...

was the

epicenter The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Surface damage Before the instrumental pe ...

for the Mino–Owari earthquake, the second largest earthquake to ever hit Japan.Mino Earthquake
. Tokyo Science Museum. Accessed July 5, 2007. The earthquake, estimated at 8.0 ( surface-wave magnitude), left a

fault scarp A fault scarp is a small step or offset on the ground surface where one side of a fault has moved vertically with respect to the other. It is the topographic expression of faulting attributed to the displacement of the land surface by movement a ...

that can still be seen today.

Geography

One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu shares borders with seven other prefectures:

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

, Ishikawa,

Fukui is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or sometimes "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to: Places * Fukui Domain, a part of the Japanese han system during the Edo period * Fukui Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in ...

Shiga is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...

, Mie,

Aichi is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectu ...

, and

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

. Japan's

postal codes A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...

all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, reflecting its location in the center of Japan. The center of Japanese population is currently located in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. The center of population is a hypothetical point at which a country is perfectly balanced assuming each person has a uniform weight. The spot was calculated using the 2005 census. 18 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Hakusan and Chūbu-Sangaku National Parks, Hida-Kisogawa and Ibi-Sekigahara-Yōrō Quasi-National Parks, and fifteen Prefectural Natural Parks.

Regions

Gifu has five unofficial regions, which allows local municipalities to work together to promote the surrounding area. The five regions are

Seinō is the southwestern portion of Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. Before Gifu became a prefecture, the area was part of Mino Province. The Seinō region received its name as a combination of the ''kanji'' for and , and is sometimes ...

,Nishi Mino Portal Site
Ginet. Accessed June 24, 2008. Gifu,Gifu Regional Promotion Office
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed August 9, 2011. Chūnō,Chūnō Promotion Office
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed August 9, 2011. TōnōTōnō Promotional Office
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed August 9, 2011. and Hida.Hida Promotional Office
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed August 9, 2011. The borders of the regions are loosely defined, but they are usually delineated among major cities.

Topography

The northern

Hida region is the northern portion of Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan.Hida Promotional Office ...

is dominated by tall mountains, including parts of the Japanese Alps. The southern

region is mostly parts of the fertile

Nōbi Plain The is a large plain in Japan that stretches from the Mino area of southwest Gifu Prefecture to the Owari area of northwest Aichi Prefecture, covering an area of approximately .

, a vast plains area with arable soil. Most of the prefecture's population lives in the southern part of the prefecture, near the

designated city A , also known as a or , is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cities are delegat ...

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

. The mountainous Hida region contains the Hida Mountains, which are referred to as the "Northern Alps" in Japan. The

Ryōhaku Mountains The are a mountain range spanning Gifu, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui and Shiga prefectures in Japan. It is divided into the Kaetsu Mountains (加越山地 ''Kaetsu Sanchi''), whose major peak is Mount Haku, and the Etsumi Mountains (越美山地 ''Et ...

are also in the Hida region. Other major ranges include the

Ibuki Mountains The are a mountain range straddling the border between Gifu and Shiga prefectures in Japan. After lowering and nearly disappearing in Shiga Prefecture, the range continues as the Suzuka Mountains. During the winter, the winds from the Ibuki M ...

and the

Yōrō Mountains The are a mountain range straddling the border between Gifu and Mie prefectures in Japan. They form part of the western border of the Nōbi Plain. Geography The Yōrō Mountains are approximately wide and long, running primarily from south-s ...

. Much of the Mino region is made up of the alluvial plain of the

Kiso Three Rivers The refers to the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Given their location, they are sometimes referred to as the Nōbi ...

, which are the Kiso River,

Nagara River The has its source in the city of Gujō, Gifu Prefecture, and its mouth in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Along with the Kiso River and Ibi River, the Nagara River is one of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain. Previously, ...

and

Ibi River The is a tributary of the Kiso River located in Gifu and Mie Prefectures in Japan. Along with the Nagara and Kiso rivers, the Ibi is the third of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain. It is one of Japan's first-class rivers. The former Tō ...

. The sources of Kiso river is in Nagano prefecture, and those of the others are in Gifu prefecture. They eventually run through Aichi and Mie prefectures before emptying into

Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers between Mie and Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . The mouth of the bay is and is connected to the smaller Mikawa Bay by two channels: ...

. Other major rivers in the prefecture include the Miya, Takahara, Shō, Toki (Shōnai), Yahagi, and Itoshiro rivers.

Climate

Gifu's climate varies from

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

in the south, eventually making the transition to

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

in the north. Because the Mino region is surrounded by low mountains, the temperature fluctuates through the year, from hot summers to cold winters. The eastern city of

, for example, often records the hottest temperature in Japan each year and is considered to be the hottest city within Honshu boasting an average daytime high of during the peak of summer. On August 16, 2007, Tajimi set the record for the hottest day recorded in Japan's history—.Gifu Prefecture sees highest temperature ever recorded in Japan – 40.9
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Japan News Review
Summers are hotter, as the landlocked area becomes a heat island, and the temperature rises even further when hot, dry

foehn wind A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...

s blow over the Ibuki Mountains from the

Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...

. The Hida region, with its higher elevation and northerly latitude, is significantly cooler than the Mino region, although there are sometimes extremely hot days there too. The Hida region is more famous for its harsh winters, bringing extremely heavy snowfall, especially in the northwestern areas. Gifu boasts a high amount of skiing locations. Shōkawa-chō, part of the city of Takayama, is up in the mountains, and its location has led it to be called the coldest inhabited place on Honshū.

Municipalities

All of the cities, towns, villages and districts of Gifu Prefecture are listed below.

Cities

Twenty-one cities are located in Gifu Prefecture: * Gifu – (the capital city of the prefecture) *

Ena Ena or ENA may refer to: Education * École nationale d'administration, French Grande école, for civil service * Education Networks of America, Internet service provider Fictional characters * Ena Sharples, from the British soap opera ''Coron ...

Gero Gero I ( – 20 May 965), sometimes called the Great ( la, magnus),Thompson, 486. Also se was a German nobleman who ruled an initially modest march centred on Merseburg in the south of the present German state of Saxony-Anhalt, which he expande ...

* Gujō * Hashima * Hida *

Kaizu Kiso Sansen Park Center is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,960, and a population density of 310 persons per km2, in 12,167 households. The total area of the city was . Most of the city is located at sea ...

Kani KANI (1500 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Gospel format. Licensed to Wharton, Texas, United States, it serves the Houston, Texas area. The station is currently owned by Martin Broadcasting. History KANI was first proposed, and a constr ...

* Minokamo *

Mizuho Mizuho () literally means "abundant rice" in Japanese and "harvest" in the figurative sense. It was also an ancient name of Japan. It might refer to: Places * Mizuho, Gifu, a city in Gifu * Mizuho, Tokyo, a town in Tokyo * Mizuho Plateau in A ...

Mizunami Nakasendō.html"_;"title="Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō">Hosokute-juku_on_the_ Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō_">Nakasendō.html"_;"title="Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō">Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō_ _is_a_Cities_of_Japan">city_located_in_ ...

Nakatsugawa Magome-juku on the Nakasendō is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,930, and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 30,788 households The total area of the city was . Geography Nakatsugawa is in ...

* Seki *

* Takayama * Toki * Yamagata

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

: * Anpachi District ** Anpachi ** Gōdo ** Wanouchi * Fuwa District **

Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...

** Tarui * Hashima District ** Ginan ** Kasamatsu *

Ibi District is a district located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. , the district has an estimated population of 72,109. The total area is 876.65 km2. The area of the former village of Tokuyama in this district will be flooded by the Tokuyama Dam. Towns ...

Ibigawa is a town located in Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 21,319 in 8,015 households and a population density of 27 persons per km2, in 8,032 households. The total area of the town was . Geography Ib ...

Ikeda Ikeda may refer to: * Ikeda (surname), a Japanese surname * Ikeda (comics), a character in ''Usagi Yojimbo'' * Ikeda clan, a Japanese clan * Ikeda map, chaotic attractor * ''Ikeda'' (annelid) a genus of the family Ikedidae Places * Ikeda, Osaka i ...

Ōno ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * ...

* Kamo District ** Hichisō ** Higashishirakawa ** Kawabe ** Sakahogi ** Shirakawa ** Tomika **

Yaotsu is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Kamo District, Gifu, Kamo District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 11,036 and a population density of 886 persons per km2, in 4311 households. The total area of the to ...

* Kani District ** Mitake * Motosu District ** Kitagata *

Ōno District ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * � ...

** Shirakawa * Yōrō District **

Yōrō was a after ''Reiki'' and before '' Jinki.'' This period spanned the years from November 717 through February 724. The reigning empress was . Change of era * 717 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previou ...

Mergers

Economy

Traditional industries such as paper-making and agriculture are found in Gifu, but its economy is dominated by manufacturing including aerospace and automotive, with industrial complexes extending from the Nagoya area. A wealth of small component manufacturing is also found, such as precision machine, dye and mold making, and plastic forming.

Traditional industries

Gifu is famous for

cormorant fishing Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing technique in which fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China, as well as Greece, North Macedonia, and briefly, England an ...

, which has a history of over 1,300 years. Agriculture is also a major industry because of Gifu's vast, arable plains. The forests in the north provide materials for woodworking and for the viewing boats used in cormorant fishing. The Mino region has long been known for its high-quality paper called ''

Mino washi is a type of Japanese paper created in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Washi is made from the paper mulberry which is a plant that grows in the city of Mino. In 1985, it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of International Trade and Ind ...

'', which is stronger and thinner than most other papers in Japan, and was used by the Japanese military during World War II. Other paper-based products include

Gifu Lanterns , or Gifu paper lanterns, are a special product of the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They have been labeled as one of Gifu's traditional crafts. Famed artist Isamu Noguchi designed a series of Gifu Lanterns that were entitled ''Akari'' ...

and

Gifu Umbrellas , or Gifu Japanese umbrellas, are a special product of the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They have been labeled as one of Gifu's traditional crafts. History In 1639, the Matsudaira clan became rulers of the Kanō Domain and brought wit ...

, made in the prefectural capital of Gifu. Other traditional goods include ''mino-yaki'' pottery in

, Toki, and

, cutlery in Seki, and

lacquerware Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. Lacquerware includes small or large containers, tableware, a variety of small objects carried by people, and larger objects such as furniture and even coffins painted with lacquer. Befor ...

in Takayama.

Sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

is often brewed with clear water from the rivers.

Modern industries

has a large role in the prefecture's modern industries. It boasts large aerospace facilities of both

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, heavy equipment, aerospace and defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headquartered in Chūō, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is ...

and

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...

, as well as many

metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scal ...

and

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...

companies. Information technology (IT) is gaining a foothold in the prefecture with both Softopia Japan in

and VR Techno Japan (part of Techno Plaza) in Kakamigahara. The capital city of Gifu, located between Ōgaki and Kakamigahara, is also working to strengthen its IT fields, too.

Tourism

Gifu has many popular tourist attractions, bringing visitors to all parts of the prefecture. The most popular places are Gifu,

, Shirakawa and Takayama. Gero is known for its relaxing

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by c ...

s, which attract visitors throughout the year. Shirakawa's historic villages are a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Takayama is famous for retaining its original appearance and is often referred to as ''Little

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

''. In addition to international tourists, Gifu also plays host to many international events. The

World Event and Convention Complex Gifu In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

is available for many types of events. Other areas of Gifu, too, bring international events. The

World Rowing Championships The World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA (the International Rowing Federation). It is a week-long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the ...

were held in the city of

in 2005. The FIS Snowboard World Cup was held in the city of

Gujo Gujo is a town located in Sindh, Pakistan. The most important archaeological sites of Amri Culture Amri–Nal culture is attributed to Amri archaeological sites in Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. It flourished in the 4th and 3rd m ...

in 2008. The

APEC The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Japan 2010 SME Ministerial Meetings were held in

Gifu City is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

Science

The Kamioka area of the city of Hida is home to the

Kamioka Observatory The is a neutrino and gravitational waves laboratory located underground in the Mozumi mine of the Kamioka Mining and Smelting Co. near the Kamioka section of the city of Hida in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. A set of groundbreaking neutrino experim ...

underground laboratory. Located underground in Kamioka Mining and Smelting Co.'s Mozumi Mine, the

Super-Kamiokande Super-Kamiokande (abbreviation of Super-Kamioka Neutrino Detection Experiment, also abbreviated to Super-K or SK; ja, スーパーカミオカンデ) is a Neutrino detector, neutrino observatory located Kamioka Observatory, under Mount Ikeno ...

experiment searches for neutrinos from the high atmosphere, the sun and supernovae, while the

KamLAND The Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Antineutrino Detector (KamLAND) is an electron Neutrino, antineutrino detector at the Kamioka Observatory, an underground Neutrino detector, neutrino detection facility in Hida, Gifu, Japan. The device is situated ...

experiment searches for antineutrinos from regional nuclear reactors. The Super-Kamiokande consists of a cylindrical stainless steel tank that is tall and in diameter holding 50,000 tons of ultra-pure water. Some of the 11,146 photomultiplier tubes are on display at the

Miraikan The , simply known as the , is a museum created by Japan's Science and Technology Agency. It was opened in 2001. It is situated in a purpose-built building in the Odaiba District of Tokyo. It can be reached by the Yurikamome driverless fully au ...

in Tokyo. The same facility also hosts the

CLIO In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί ...

prototype and

KAGRA The Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA), is a large interferometer designed to detect gravitational waves predicted by the general theory of relativity. KAGRA is a Michelson interferometer that is isolated from external disturbances: its m ...

gravitational wave detector.

Demographics

The prefecture's population was 2,101,969, with approximately 1.8 million people in the cities and the rest in towns and villages.Statistics Division of Gifu Prefecture
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed November 2, 2007. The percentage of male and female residents is 48.4% and 51.6%, respectively. 14.4% of the population is no more than 14 years old, with 22.1% of the population being at least 65 years old. According to Japan's

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, the country's

is located in Gifu Prefecture. In 2000, it was located in the former town of Mugi, which has since merged with Seki. In the most recent census in 2005, the center of population has moved slightly more to the east, but is still located within Gifu.

Education

Asahi University is a private university in Mizuho, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The school was first founded in 1971 as Gifu Dental University (岐阜歯科大学 ''Gifu Shika Daigaku''). It was renamed Asahi University in 1985 when the management department was add ...

* Chubu Gakuin University * Chukyo Gakuin University * Gifu City Women's College * Gifu College of Nursing * Gifu Keizai University *

Gifu Pharmaceutical University is a municipal university located in the city of Gifu, Gifu, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1932, and it was chartered as a university in 1949.''Gifu-shi no Ayumi (Outline of Gifu City 2005)''. Gifu Cit ...

* Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University *

Gifu University is a national university in the city of Gifu, Gifu, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is sometimes abbreviated as Gidai (岐大) or Gifudai (岐阜大). National University Corporation The Tokai National Higher Education and Research System est ...

* Gifu University of Medical Science *

Gifu Women's University is a four-year private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax break ...

Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences , IAMAS is a public university at Ōgaki, Gifu, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of ...

* Tokai Gakuin University

Transportation

Rail

* JR Central **

Tokaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 196 ...

–

Gifu-Hashima Station is a railway station on the Tokaido Shinkansen located in the city of Hashima, Gifu, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It is the sole Shinkansen station in Gifu Prefecture. Lines Gifu-Hashima Station is served only ...

** Tokaido Line **

Takayama Line The is a Japanese railway line between Gifu Station in Gifu and Toyama Station in Toyama, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line directly links the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area ...

** Chuo Line **

Taita Line The is a 17.8 km railway line in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It connects Tajimi Station in the city of Tajimi via Kani to Mino-Ōta Station in Minokamo. The name of the line includes a '' ...

Meitetsu , referred to as , is a private railway company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Some of the more famous trains operated by Meitetsu include the ''Panorama Car'' and the '' Panorama Car Super'', both of which of ...

** Nagoya Line ** Kakamigahara Line ** Hashima Line ** Takehana Line **

Hiromi Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). It connects Inuyama Station in Inuyama, Aichi with Mitake Station in Mitake, Gifu. Stations L: LE: MU: All trains stop at stations ...

Inuyama Line The is a 26.8 km Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu), which connects Biwajima Junction in Kiyosu, Aichi with Shin-Unuma Station in Kakamigahara, Gifu. Together with the Kakamigahara L ...

Yoro Railway Yoro, with a population of 25,560 (2020 calculation), is the capital city of the Yoro Department of Honduras and the municipal seat of Yoro Municipality. It is notable for a local event known as Lluvia de Peces, where it is claimed that strong ...

Nagaragawa Railway The is a railway line in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by the third-sector operator . The line connects Mino-Ōta Station in Minokamo with Hokunō Station in Gujō. It is the only railway line operated by the Nagaragawa Railway. The li ...

* Tarumi Railway *

Akechi Railway The is a Japanese railway line in Gifu Prefecture connecting Ena and Akechi stations, which are both located in Ena. There are stations located in Nakatsugawa city as well. This is the only railway line operates. The third-sector company t ...

Road

Expressway and toll roads

* Meishin Expressway * Chuo Expressway * Tokai Hokuriku Expressway * Tokai Loop Expressway *Chubu Jukan Expressway *Hakusan Forest Road *Mount Ibuki Toll Road *Nagaragawa Riversideway

National highways

* Route 19 * Route 21 * Route 22 * Route 41 * Route 156 * Route 157 * Route 158 * Route 248 * Route 256 * Route 257 * Route 258 * Route 303 * Route 360 * Route 361 * Route 363 * Route 365 * Route 417 * Route 418 * Route 419 * Route 471 * Route 472 * Route 475

Prefectural symbols

Gifu's symbol comes from the first character ''gi'' (岐) of its Japanese name, written in a stylized script, surrounded by a circle, which represents the peace and harmony of the prefectural citizen. It was chosen by contest in 1932.A Statistical Guide to Gifu Prefecture 2007
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed November 2, 2007. The prefectural logo (''see right'') expands from the red dot into the center to the outer two lines and, finally, the yellow plain. This symbol was chosen in 1991 for the development and expansion of the prefecture. The prefecture also has two plants (the

milk vetch ''Astragalus'' is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus is native to ...

and the Japanese yew) and two animals (the snow grouse and the ayu) as symbols. The milk vetch was chosen in 1954, because the prefecture is well known for its abundance of blooming milk vetch each spring. The yew was chosen in 1966, because it is the tree used to make ornamental scepters for the emperor, many of which came from the Hida district. The snow grouse was chosen in 1961, as the birds live up in the Japanese alps and is a nationally protected species. Ayu were chosen in 1989, because the fish is found in many prefectural rivers and is prized for its sweet taste.

Notable people

* Chie Aoki, sculptor *

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through ...

, diplomat *

Junji Ito is a Japanese horror manga artist. Some of his most notable works include ''Tomie'', a series chronicling an immortal girl who drives her stricken admirers to madness; '' Uzumaki'', a three-volume series about a town obsessed with spirals; and ...

, manga artist *

Kaiu Shirai is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist and writer whose real name and date of birth are unknown. He is best known for his manga series ''The Promised Neverland''. Early life Kaiu Shirai was doing Kabuki at a young age and then after graduat ...

, manga artist *

Tsuyoshi Makino Tsuyoshi is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Tsuyoshi can be written using different kanji characters. Here are some examples: *剛, "sturdy" *剛史, "sturdy, history" *剛志, "sturdy, will" *剛士, "sturdy, gentleman/samur ...

, author and social activist *

Teiji Takagi Teiji Takagi (高木貞治 ''Takagi Teiji'', April 21, 1875 – February 28, 1960) was a Japanese mathematician, best known for proving the Takagi existence theorem in class field theory. The Blancmange curve, the graph of a nowhere-differentiabl ...

, mathematician

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge, Massachusetts:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

. ; . .

External links

* *
Gifu travel guide

Go Gifu (blog about tourism in Gifu)

Map of Gifu Prefecture in 1891
National Archives of Japan. {{Coord, 35, 29, N, 136, 54, E, scale:500000, display=title Chūbu region Prefectures of Japan