Gifu Crossroads
Gifu Prefecture Tourism and Event Newsletter Winter is drawing ever closer, as the chilly nights-despite the temperature during the daytimebecome more and more frequent! The month of November that is just around the corner is the best part of the autumn season when it comes to the natural beauty that you can only see during this time of year. So this volume will be heavily skewed towards locations famous for and events/festivals related to fall colors! As with the cherry blossom season, the season of autumn foliage in Gifu is unusually long because of the difference in altitude between the north and the south! While some places in the northern region of Hida will start showing their fall colors in early October, other places in the southern region of Mino will continue to do so even into early December! You can thus appreciate the beauty of autumn somewhere in Gifu for close to two months, so please make your way here and do just that!
The expansive and beautiful Yoro Park plays host to an autumn festival with many events held on the weekends and holidays! Chosen as one of the 33 best destinations in Gifu for autumn colors, the park boasts a whopping 3,000 maple trees that will overwhelm you with their deep red leaves! Aside from the trees themselves, Yoro Park is also famous for Yoro Falls, the subject of an old legend about a dutiful son. Please come and enjoy both the waterfall and the fall colors! Time: 9am–5pm Peak season: Mid-November – early December ℡:+81-584-32-1100 Yoro Park, Yoro-cho Getting there: 15-minute walk from Yoro Station (Yoro Railway) http://www.kankohttp://www.kanko-yoro.jp/updfiles/toppage/11/3/養老 yoro.jp/updfiles/toppage/11/3/養老チラシ 24秋.pdf (Jpn.) 養老チラシ表 チラシ表24秋
Making a trip to Takayama easier and more affordable than ever!
Gifu Prefecture and the JR Central Japan Railway Company continue to bring you an independent travel package to Takayama like no other! 3 nights in Takayama and 2 nights in Nagoya PLUS round-trip train tickets from Nagoya to Takayama PLUS round-trip tickets to Kyoto or Ise or Shizuoka (your choice of 1 of these 3) PLUS more! For detailed information about this jampacked travel option, please refer to the following webpage: http://japanican.com/tours/list.aspx?kw=stayrailtakahaku
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Gifu Crossroads
November 2012
Oyada Shrine, designated as a “national important cultural property,” is surrounded by a forest of brilliantly colored trees in autumn. This maple forest is also designated as a “national natural monument” and has been widely know since the Edo period! Together, the shrine and forest form an extremely impressive sight, especially in autumn, and as such the area has been chosen as one of the 33 best sites in Gifu for autumn colors! The detailed carvings of the shrine buildings and the vibrant colors of the leaves make this perhaps the best place to visit in the fall! Please come and enjoy the scenery while munching on some local delicacies like miso-coated baked tofu! Peak within the autumn foliage season: Mid-late November ℡:+81-575-33-1122 Oyada, Mino City Getting there: 30-minute walk from the “Oyada Jinja-mae” stop on the Gifu Bus Takami Line (board at Gifu Station) http://www.minohttp://www.mino-city.jp/en/tourist/festival09.html
While the fall colors are out in full force, this annual festival takes place! With a history of over 500 years, the Hinkoko Festival is performed the same way now as it was long ago, and so it has a very “homemade” feel. A puppet show featuring scarecrow-like figures, this “national important intangible cultural folk property” tells the mythic tale of Susanoo slaying the great serpent Orochi. Come enjoy an authentic festival that you will only find in the http://www.minocountryside! Time: 11:30am-12pm, 2-2:30pm http://www.mino-city.jp/en/tourist/festival03.html (See above Oyada Maple Valley entry for access/contact information)
During this festival, the area in and around Gujo Hachiman Castle will be the stage for various events, from matchlock rifle firing demonstrations to fall color photo sessions! From the 10th to the 18th, the trees surrounding the castle will be illuminated from sundown until 9pm, creating spectacular scenery that one can appreciate even from the distance! In addition, to commemorate World Diabetes Day, on the 14th and the 18th, the castle itself will be illuminated in blue, creating a stunning contrast with the red foliage around it! Finally, on the 17th and the 18th, a shuttle bus will be available from the “Jokamachi Plaza” to the castle, so after buying your entry ticket for the castle (at the Jokamachi Plaza), please use that to also get on the bus! ℡:+81-575-67-1819 Tickets: ¥300 (adults); ¥150 (children) Yanagi-machi, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City Getting there: 20-minute walk from the “Gujo Hachiman Jokamachi Plaza” stop on the Gifu Bus Hachiman Line (depart from Gifu Station) http://eng.gujokankou.com/spot/indexhttp://eng.gujokankou.com/spot/index-477.html
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November 2012
Check out the G-PASS 2.0!!
Gifu Prefecture has again teamed up with Central Nippon Expressway to bring you a new and improved version of the “G-PASS” (official name: “Central Nippon Expressway Pass 2012 in Autumn”)! This pass allows users to drive the designated toll roads in the central Japan area at a flat rate and utilizes ETC cards to make passing through the tolls a breeze! While formerly there were two passes that covered different areas, these have been combined into one comprehensive pass that is available for three time spans: 3 days (￥10,000), 5 days (￥13,000), and 7 days (￥16,000). You can choose the one that best fits your trip, but no matter which one, you will save anywhere between 20%-50% by using the G-PASS instead of just paying at every toll! Additionally, both Toyota Rent-a-Car and Mazda Car Rental are now offering the G-PASS, so I highly recommend to anybody arriving at Central Japan International Airport interested in driving in this region to make use of the pass! Available through November 14 (will be implemented again in the spring) http://global.chttp://global.c-nexco.co.jp/en/whatsnew/pdf/gnexco.co.jp/en/whatsnew/pdf/g-pass_autumn.pdf
Near the end of the Edo period, the Princess Kazunomiya, together with a grand procession, made her way along the Nakasendo and through Akasaka-juku on her way to marry into the Tokugawa house. Every year in this post-town, that historic occasion is re-enacted in the form of the Nakasendo Akasaka-juku Festival! Together with Princess Kazunomiya, two other princesses who were married off to Tokugawa shogun will march as well, turning back the clock several hundred years! Time: 9:30am-4pm Akasaka-cho, Ogaki City Getting there: 5-minute walk from Mino Akasaka Station, the last stop on the JR Mino Akasaka Line from Ogaki Station http://www.ogakikanko.jp/english/calendar/index.html ℡:+81-584-71-0294
In the Gero Hot Spring district, the area surrounding Onsenji Temple will be illuminated, bringing the red-colored trees to life at night and creating a surreal atmosphere! Mini-concerts and other such events will be staged, and what’s more, a special “Maple foot bath” will be prepared so that travelers can relax their tired legs in rejuvenating hot spring water (for free!) while enjoying the autumn scenery! Fall colors and hot springs together as one…what more could one ask for?! Time: Sundown-9pm 680 Yunoshima, Gero City http://www.city.gero.lg.jp/kankou/data/language/e/event.html Getting there: 15-minute walk from Gero Station on the JR Takayama Main Line ℡:+81-576-24-1000
New Bus Route to Gero Hot Spring from Central Japan International Airport! Make your way to Gero easily and inexpensively with a new Centrair ⇔ Gero non-stop bus run by Nohi Bus until December 2! What is usually a ¥3,000 trip that requires a train transfer is now a ¥2,000 direct trip with no hassle! To reserve: +81-576-25-2541 http://www.gerohttp://www.gero-spa.or.jp/bas/bus3.htm
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All Roads Lead to GIFU: Part IV
Nakatsugawa City
This month we’ll be making the virtual trip to Nakatsugawa City, located at the eastern edge of Gifu, right next to Nagano Prefecture. In fact, some districts of this city Kurikinton Ena Manju used to be part of Nagano before they became part of Roasted chestnuts Gifu, s o the re are lots of cultural elements, foods, and such that you will not find in any other region in Gifu! Though Nakatsugawa takes some Goheimochi time to reach from Gifu City, Nakatsugawa Station is easily accessible from Nagoya (on the JR Chuo Main Line) and from Gero (via a Nohi Bus on the Gero-Kashimo Line), so I recommend that travelers, instead of making their way directly to and from Nagoya and Gero, pass through Nakatsugawa on the way! For one thing, Nakatsugawa is a paradise of wagashi , or Japanese confectionaries, and is said by some to be one of Japan’s “Three Great Wagashi Areas.” Though Nakatsugawa is most famous for the kurikinton, a chestnut-based sweet that originated here, the variety of amazing sweets doesn’t stop there! At the Nigiwai Tokusankan, you can get your hands on some of the mouth-watering products made and sold within the city, many of which are seasonal. Also keep in mind that some confectionaries, like kurikinton, must be eaten within a few days of being made! The “Ena manju,” a bun filled with more red bean paste than you will ever find in a confectionary of its kind, is a local favorite! The Nigiwai Tokusankan is also where the Tourist Information Center, where you can make inquiries in English, is located. and right outside, you can catch the bus to Magome-juku. Magome “Meiji-za” Playhouse Nigiwai Tokusankan is an old post-town on the Nakasendo, one of the Five Routes of the Edo period. Travelers making their way between Edo and Kyoto used to pass through here, often staying the night at the many inns. It is unique among the 69 post-towns on the route because of its steep slope, and it is an incredibly picturesque destination any time of year that I hope you will visit! You can enjoy some mouth-watering goheimochi, glazed sticky Tsukechi Gorge rice on skewers; and roasted chestnuts, both local specialties! Aside from Magome, there are other great destinations in Nakatsugawa, from the historical local kabuki playhouses such as Meiji-za to treasure troves of nature such as Tsukechi Gorge, where you will find serene waterfalls harmonizing with clear, blue-green waters. These other locations require a rental car or Magome-juku taxi to get to, but they are totally worth it! Check out the blog below for more detailed information!! For questions, comments, or to unsubscribe, please contact c11334@pref.gifu.lg.jp For more on tourism in Gifu Prefecture, please refer to the following resources: ☆ Gifu Crossroads Facebook Page ☆ Gifu Travel Guide http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gifuhttp://travel.kankouhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Gifu-Crossroads/165137586854382 http://travel.kankou-gifu.jp/en/ ☆ Gifu Crossroads Blog ☆ Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) http://gifucrossroads.wordpress.com/ http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ Central Japan Tourism Promotion Association http://gohttp://go-centraljapan.jp/en/area/gifu/index.html Publisher: Tourism Division, Tourism Exchange Promotion Office Department of Commerce, Labor and Industry Gifu Prefectural Government 2-1-1 Yabuta-minami, Gifu City, GIFU 500-8570
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Tel:+81-58-272-1111 (Ext.3058) Fax:+81-58-278-2674 Email: q00869@pref.gifu.lg.jp
November 2012