2010 – Japanese Warlords, 15th-17th C, and some JETs, 20th-21st C Acknowledgements: Many past and present Gifu JETs helped in the preparation of this guide: Jessica Savage Julie Beck Narin Na Ranong Jennifer Lamm Brandon McDonald Daniel Mick Wikipedia and Wikitravel are good sources of info for JETs living in the Gifu region. Much of the information overlaps with what is outlined for you in this guide. In particular, check out their pages about Gifu city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifu_city http://wikitravel.org/en/Gifu Smack-dab in the middle of Japan, that’s where! Gifu is a Prefecture, a city, AND a region (just to confuse things). All this is in the Tokai region of Japan’s main island, Honshu. GIFU TOKYO NAGOYA KYOTO OSAKA Gifu Prefecture is comprised of five regions: Hida, Tono, Chuno, Gifu, and Seino. The southern half of Gifu was once called Mino, while the northern half has been called Hida since time immemorial, or so they say. The Gifu region is the area surrounding Gifu city in the southern part of Gifu Prefecture. HIDA CHUNO SEINO GIFU TONO The Gifu region is bordered by rivers and mountains. For better or worse, this centrally-located area truly is the ‘belly button’ of Japan, since much of the area is less than 100m (328ft) above sea level. This geography is one reason we southern Gifu-ites have to battle through such extreme heat and humidity every summer. ALTs on the JET Program live in the following cities and suburbs within the Gifu region (many are effectively suburbs of Gifu city): 岐阜 ぎふ Gifu 西岐阜 にしぎふ Nishi-Gifu 各務原 かかみがはら Kakamigahara 羽島 はしま Hashima 瑞穂 みずほ Mizuho 本巣 もとす Motosu 山形 やまがた Yamagata 岐南 ぎなん Ginan 北型 きたがた Kitagata Gifu’s central location means it’s well-placed for traveling all around Honshu. Two main rail companies oversee Gifu’s trains: JR (Japan Rail) and Meitetsu (名 鉄 - a private rail company). Meitetsu lines have more frequent stops, however tickets tend to be slightly more expensive than JR. The two main train stations in central Gifu city are Gifu JR and Gifu Meitetsu. They are about a 5 minute walk apart (Meitetsu is north of JR). Gifu JR station Gifu JR station is the transport hub for this area. Train lines that depart from here, and notable stations, are: Tkaid line- east to Nagoya (only 18 minutes by express train), west to Nishi-Gifu, Ogaki and Maibara Takayama line- east to Kakamigahara, Gero and Takayama Buses Just outside the North exit of the station is the bus area, where you can catch buses to various parts of Gifu city and beyond. There is an information booth there too. Staff can direct you to the appropriate bus if you know where you want to go but don’t know how to get there. They are unlikely to speak much English, however. The tourist office staff on the second floor of Gifu JR (near ticket machines) are likely to speak more English. Between Gifu JR and Gifu Meitetsu is another bus rank. The buses that leave from here are mostly longer-distance buses, many of them to touristy destinations like Shirakawa-go and Takayama. Group bus tours also set off from here. These are not a bad way to see some of the area around Gifu, and can be an opportunity to meet/talk to Japanese people. (Be warned though: most group tours in Japan revolve heavily around the procurement and consumption of food and do not seem to leave much room for individual exploration.) Gifu Meitetsu station From Gifu Meitetsu, you can catch: -Nagoya main line -Kakamigahara line -Airport line- takes you all the way to Central Japan International Airport (aka Chbu Centrair Airport). It’s incredibly convenient, reliable and clean. It costs 1310¥ and takes 55 minutes. This website has timetables and route maps: http://www.meitetsu.co.jp/english/airport-access/centrair/index.asp Shinkansen (bullet train) The shinkansen runs through Gifu. There’s a stop in Hashima- this is where you disembarked when you first arrived from Tokyo. But unless you live in Hashima, you will find it more convenient to take a train to Nagoya and board the shinkansen there. To look up train timetables, the following sites are recommended: www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae Both sites are in English and can be very helpful in planning your trips. Simply plug information into the required fields then a wait a few seconds while the site generates several itinerary options. The Japanese version of Hyperdia often has more choices and more information available than the English version. It is recommended that if you are planning a long trip and want to print your schedule, do it first in English and then in Japanese. That way you’ll have a schedule that has the kanji that you’ll need to be looking out for, but one that is also easy for you to check. International Travel The nearest airport to Gifu is Central Japan International Airport, which you can easily access in about an hour from Gifu, via a Meitetsu train (see above). Kansai International Airport (near Osaka) and Narita International Airport (Tokyo) are other options. If you plan to leave Japan and actually want to get back into the country, you need a re-entry permit. It costs 3000¥ for a single permit, and 6000¥ for a multiple re-entry permit (get this one). You need your inkan or hanko, passport, and ‘Alien Registration’ card. You can get a re-entry permit at the Immigration Office across the road on the south side of Gifu JR station. It’s on the third floor of a building next to the ‘Animate’ store (Nihon Izumi Building 3F). You can’t pay for your permit at the office, though: you need to pay for some stamps at the sake shop downstairs! They should know what you want if you walk in and hand them the 3000¥ or 6000¥. Then take the stamps up to the third floor and hand them to the clerk in the Immigration Office. You will be given a form which will ask for specific dates and addresses for where you are traveling. This doesn’t have to be completely accurate; it’s just a formality. Just say you are going home over Christmas and write dates and an address. The Immigration Office is open only on weekdays from 9-12 and 1-4pm, and is closed on national holidays. It’s a good idea to get your re-entry permit early and might be easier if you go in a group. 岐阜市 Gifu City Homepage- http://www.city.gifu.lg.jp/ (Japanese with a link to English page) Tourism Bureau- http://www.gifucvb.or.jp/en/index.html ◆ Mt. Kinka (金華山 Kinka-zan) & Gifu Castle (岐阜 城) Deep within Mount Kinka lies the heart and soul of every Gifu-ite. (Possibly, we don’t really know.) It is not actually the tallest mountain in the Gifu region, but it is the site of Gifu Castle. Warlord Oda Nobunaga used it as his headquarters from which he attempted to ‘unify’ all of Japan. Gifu Castle is quite an impressive sight, perched atop Mount Kinka, overlooking the city, river, and surrounding plains. You can venture up to Gifu Castle to explore the inside (admission 200¥)- there’s a small museum with old weaponry, armor, paintings etc. From the balcony, take in the view of Gifu city and beyond. The trip up along the ropeway is fun (roundtrip 1050¥). The castle is open 9:30am-4:30pm. During summer, it’s open for night viewing between July 20 and August 31 (5:30pm-10:00pm), and on weekends and public holidays from September 1 to October 14 (5:30-9:30pm). To get there, take a bus from JR Gifu station or Meitetsu Gifu Station to Gifu Park (15 min), and walk 3 minutes to the rope-way. If you’re game, you can also hike up Mt. Kinka, following the uma no se (馬の背 ) trail, or the easier meiso no komichi (めい想の小径 ) trail. (Not recommended in the summer heat, winter cold, or when landslides are a possibility!) ◆ Cormorant fishing (うかい ukai) – May to October Ukai in the Nagara river has a 1300 year history- the longest unbroken stretch of this kind of fishing in Japan. It is an immense source of pride for people (or maybe just the tourist office) here… and is apparently the only thing most guidebooks think is worth mentioning about Gifu! You can experience the wonderment of ukai yourself by booking a spot on a boat, for about 3000¥. Every night from May 11 to October 15, fishing sets off from around 7:30. Passenger boats leave before this. Most years, AJET organizes a group ukai trip, so keep an eye and ear out. http://www.gifucvb.or.jp/en/kankou/ukai/index.shtml ◆ Gifu Park (岐阜公園 Gifu k5en) This is the biggest park in Gifu city and incorporates several museums, as well as the ropeway terminal for ascending up to Gifu Castle. The Gifu Daibutsu (Great Statue of Buddha) is housed in a building just across the street from Gifu Park. ◆ Gifu City Tower 43 (岐阜 シティ・タワー 43) Located near Gifu JR station, this is the tallest building in the prefecture. It has – you guessed it – 43 floors, reaching a height of 163 meters (535 ft). While it can hardly be called a skyscraper, Tower 43 offers 360-degree views of Gifu city from the top-floor observatory, ‘Sky Lounge’.