Gifu Prefecture
Winter 2011❄2012 Edition
Tourism and Event Newsletter
Volume 14
Welcome to Gifu! Located right in the middle of Japan, Gifu Prefecture is ideally located and is easily accessible from all of Japan’s large metropolitan areas. It is the “heartland” of Japan, a place blessed by bountiful natural surroundings in which old traditions are preserved and made anew. Gifu is where you can discover first-hand the true essence of Japan. Through this newsletter, my hope is that you will gain at least a small appreciation for the sights, adventures, and experiences that you would be exposed to here in Gifu. One such experience that we especially recommend is relaxing in an open-air hot spring while taking in the surrounding idyllic wintery scenery in the regions that see heavy snowfall! And the prefecture takes great pride in its ski slopes, which are the most easily accessible from an airport in the entire country; in a mere two and a half hours after landing at Centrair International Airport, you can already be sliding down one of the many ski slopes in Gujo City! And from beginners to experienced skiers, there are slopes for everybody to tackle. For more information about ski areas in Gujo, please refer to the following link: http://eng.gujokankou.com/genre_list-33.html We hope to see you in Gifu this winter season!!
~ Illumination ~ Kiso Sansen Park “Winter Light Stories” December 3 ~ 25 With budding flower beds of different species depending on the season, the Kiso Sansen Park is beautiful any time of the year. In December, the expanse of the park lawn is adorned with 500,000 lights in a spectacular illumination that will, this year, bring to life “The Wizard of Oz” in various shapes and colors, including the yellow brick road and the Emerald City! Illumination hours: 4:30pm ~ 9pm Venue: Kiso Sansen Park Center, 255-3 Aburajima, Kaizu-cho, Kaizu City Access: Kintetsu Yoro Line to Ishizu Station-->Kaizu Community Bus to Kiso Sansen Park Contact: +81-0584-54-5531 http://www.kisosansenkoen.go.jp/e/event/index.html Gifu Illumination Fair End of November ~ End of January During this illumination, the entire Gifu Station area becomes a different world, with lit designs and objects sprouting every which way, adorned with 300,000 brilliant lights. And aside from this, there is also a photography contest searching for the photos that best capture the charm of event itself! So not only are the plaza and the pedestrian platforms alive with the energy of the illumination, they are also infused with the energy of people posing, taking photos, and having a grand old time! Illumination hours: 5pm ~ 11:pm Venue: Gifu Station North Exit Plaza, Gifu City Tower 43 shopping district Access: Gifu Station-->North Exit Contact: +81-058-264-1181 http://www.gifucvb.or.jp/event/detail_winter.php?eid=00043 5th Historic District Lantern Illumination December 21 ~ 25 Takayama’s Historic District, one of the most famous spots in all of Gifu, will be bathed in the light of paper lanterns, for which Gifu is also renowned, and the people in the streets will be transported to the distant past! Oilpaper umbrellas and handheld lanterns are also available for free rental, which only heightens one’s sense of being in an ancient city! In addition, many other events will be put-on, including performances by costumed mascot characters from around the nation, concerts, and sales of local foods. Illumination hours: 6pm ~ 8pm Venue: Takayama Jinya Square, Takayama City Historic District Access: JR Takayama Main Line to Takayama Station-->12-minute walk http://www.takayamaryokan.jp/2011_xmas/ (Jpn.) Contact: +81-0577-33-1181
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Winter 2011❄2012
❄Feature❄ ~ A World of Ice and Snow ~ 11th Takasu Snow Festival February 18 ~ 19 Held in Gujo City, this annual event is jam-packed with winter activities that visitors can actively participate in, from snow sculpture carving to snow sledding to a snowmobile-led “jet train!” At nighttime, the main attraction is the laser show that is put-on, in which lasers and fireworks combine to paint the night sky an array of colors and dazzle spectators. This is an event that you will only be able to enjoy in the snow country, so be sure to attend! Venue: Bokka no Sato, Washimi, Takasu-cho, Gujo City Access: Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway-->Hirugano Kogen Smart I.C. Exit Contact: +81-0575-72-5000 http://kankou.takasu.or.jp/ibento.html (Japanese) Shin-Hodaka Hot Spring Nakao Kamakura Festival February 1 ~ 14 This festival centers around one of the traditional features of winter in the Oku-Hida Hot Springs region, “kamakura,” or snow huts. Many snow huts, of varying sizes and shapes, will dot the landscape and provide a respite from the cold weather! Hearths inside the huts provide places to gather around and spend time with friends and family, and you should make your way to a hut converted into a bar for a similarly unique experience! You can also try your hand at rice cake-making watch traditional lion dance performances! Venue: Shin-Hodaka Hot Spring, Nakao Kogen Event Plaza Access: JR Takayama Station-->Nohi Bus towards Shinhodaka-->Nakao Kogen (Ashiyu-mae) Hours: 8pm ~ 9:30pm http://www.okuhida.or.jp/event/winter.asp (Japanese) Contact: +81-0578-89-2614
Hirayu Waterfall Ice Festival February 15 ~ 25 The great 64 meter-tall Hirayu Waterfall is turned into a frozen pillar by the cold of winter, and when this is illuminated in the dark, it makes for a mystical sight that leaves a long-lasting impression. Nearby in a large kamakura (snow hut), visitors are treated to free pork soup and sweet sake to help warm their bodies in the midst of all the surrounding snow and ice! While the winter may be severe, it is only because of this that we can enjoy stunning sights like this great frozen waterfall! Hours: 6pm ~ 9pm Access: JR Takayama Station-->Nohi Bus towards Shinhodaka-->Hirayu Camp-->15 minute walk Venue: Hirayu Waterfall, Hirayu Hot Spring http://www.okuhida.or.jp/event/winter.asp (Jap.) Contact: +81-0578-89-2614 Oku-Hida Hot Springs Village Snow Sculpture Contest February 4 ~ 13 The entire Oku-Hida Hot Springs are will turn into the grounds for a massive snow sculpture contest! Outside hotels and restaurants, you’ll find sculptures of many shapes and sizes, each one based on a different theme and with its own unique appeal. And perhaps even more alluring is when the sculptures are lit-up at night, which gives a much different impression than their daytime counterparts! Venue: Oku-Hida Hot Springs Village Illumination hours: Sundown ~ 9pm Access: JR Takayama Station-->Nohi Bus http://www.okuhida.or.jp/event/winter.asp (Japanese) Contact: +81-0578-89-2614 Akigami Hot Spring: Subzero Forest (and Ice Festival) January 1 ~ March 31 The dark and cold of the deep winter are brilliantly utilized by those at the Akigami Onsen Ryokan, who spend months preparing this mystical Subzero Ice Forest and maintaining its frozen state. During the night illumination, the ice forest glows an array of vibrant colors, and a popular amusement is shooting off soap bubbles that immediately freeze solid as if by magic! And on February 11, the Ice Festival will add even more excitement, with traditional performing arts, a mini-concert, a bazaar, and fireworks for all to enjoy! Venue: Akigami Hot Spring Illumination hours: Until 9:30pm Access: JR Takayama Station-->Nohi Bus towards Akigami Hot Spring-->Akigami Hot Spring
http://hyotenkanomori.com/index2.htm (Jpn.)
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Gifu Crossroads
Contact: +81-0577-56-1021
Winter 2011❄2012
~ Other Events ~ Sake Brewery Tours January 19 ~ February 29 There is a saying “where there is cold, there is good sake,” and that is certainly the case when it comes to Takayama City! Blessed by the perfect weather and water conditions to grow good rice, Takayama has been a site of high-quality sake production for a long time. The sake brewery tours that are held every year give visitors the chance to see this process up-close and to taste a bit of the fantastic sake! In all, 6 breweries will open their doors for visitors, and will even present you with a commemorative sake cup! Venue: Sake breweries in Takayama City Access: Within a 15-minute walk from JR Takayama Station http://www.hida.jp/fuyunotabi/sakagurameguri.htm (Jpn.) Contact: +81-0577-32-3333 Santera Mairi January 15 This event, which includes and is named for the act of going to each of three temples to pray, has 300 years of history. And, unlike most other festivals, it supposedly originated from and today centers around the theme of “romance!” Mimicking the men and women of long ago who came to pray at the temples, met each other, and fell in love, many young people today flock to the temples looking for the same! Many candles are lit, including huge snow-candles, with the hope of, or in celebration of, romance, leaving the town of Hida Furukawa glowing brightly against the winter snow. Won’t you join in?! Venue: Central district of Hida Furukawa-cho Contact: +81-0577-74-1192 Access: JR Takayama Main Line to Hida Furukawa Station-->5-minute walk http://www.city.hida.gifu.jp/kanko/foreign/en/maturi/santera/index.html Gero Hot Spring Winter Fireworks Show December 3, 10, 17, ❄24❄ The firework masters in Gero City will unveil a whole slew of newly-developed fireworks with various themes in a brilliant display among the stars above the Hida River! With the fireworks set to music, it’s a spectacle to please more than just your sense of sight. And on the 24th, the performance will be a special, and specially-long, Christmas edition that will be sure to impress viewers more! Time: 8pm ~ 8:15pm (until 8:30pm on the 24th) Venue: Upriver of the Gero Ohashi Bridge, Gero City Contact: +81-0576-24-2222 Access: JR Takayama Main Line to Gero Station-->5-minute walk http://www.city.gero.lg.jp/kankou/data/language/e/event.html
~ Promotion: A Trip to Takayama Is More Convenient and Affordable than Ever! ~ Gifu Prefecture and the JR Central Japan Railway Company are teaming up to bring you an independent travel package to Takayama like no other! 3 nights in Takayama + 2 nights in Nagoya + Takayama⇔Nagoya train pass + Nagoya⇔Kyoto bullet train pass + much more! For more information, please refer to the following: http://www.japanican.com/tours/tourdetail.aspx?tc=GMT01NGOOVJSRTKA
Thank you for reading and subscribing! 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: ☆ Gifu Crossroads Facebook Page ☆ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gifu-Crossroads/165137586854382 Gifu Tour Guide http://www.kankou-gifu.jp/en/index.html Chubu Wide-area Tourism Portal Site http://www.kandou10.jp/en/area/area05.html JNTO http://www.jnto.go.jp/
Tourism and Local Products Promotion Division Tourism Exchange Promotion Office Department of Prefectural Policy Planning 2-1-1 Yabuta-minami, Gifu City, GIFU 500-8570
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[TEL] +81-058-272-1111 (Ext. 3058) [FAX] +81-058-278-2674 [E-mail] q00869@govt.pref.gifu.jp
Winter 2011❄2012