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GIFU |
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On the other side of the Kiso-gawa from Inuyama is Gifu-ken, with
its capital, GIFU , 20km further west. The city pretty much repeats the
formula of ukai on a meandering river overlooked by a hilltop castle,
but is otherwise a bigger and more modern place, rebuilt after the
double whammy of an earthquake in 1891 and blanket bombings during World
War II. The city is also renowned for its production of paper umbrellas
and lanterns and it's possible to visit a couple of workshops, although
you might not always be able to see the craftspeople at work.
The Meitestu Shin-Gifu Station is 200m north of Gifu's JR Station, on
the main road leading to the Nagara-gawa, around 2km further north. This
is where the ukai displays run each year from May 11 to October 15.
You'll have to bring your own picnic for the boat, the cormorant fishing
lasts only thirty minutes and, at ¥3300, it's more expensive than in
Inuyama, which may persuade you to view the whole thing for free from
the riverside. If the water is low, you'll be able to walk out across
the rocky river bed for a better view of the proceedings. If you do want
to go on the boats, book first at the boat office (tel 0582/62-0140;
English spoken) beside the Nagara-bashi. To reach this bridge it's best
to take bus #11 (¥200) from either of the stations.
The small white castle of Gifu-jo (daily 9am-5pm; ¥200), perched atop
Kinka-zan, is the city's main daytime attraction and is in Gifu-koen,
the park around the densely forested hillock looming over the
Nagara-gawa. The castle itself is an unremarkable recreation, but the
reason for going up to it on the cable car (daily 9am-5pm; ¥600 one way,
¥1050 return) is for the panoramic view of the river winding its way
past the humpbacked outcrops on Gifu's surrounding plains. The park is
reached on the same bus that goes out to the Nagara-bashi. While you're
out here, pop into Shoho-ji , a temple opposite the park, housing an
imposing 13.7metre-tall sculpture of Buddha made of lacquered bamboo.
Around 1km south of Gifu-koen, at 1-18 Koguma-cho, is Ozeki Shoten, a
company which produces traditional paper lanterns that sell for around
¥20,000 with a stand. The workshops here are closed to the public, but
in the shop (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm) you'll find a display outlining the
process. To see craftsmen at work, head for the paper umbrella company,
Sakaida Honten, 27 Kano-Naka Hiroe (Mon-Sat 7am-noon & 2-5pm). If you
ask nicely, the assistants will show you a range of the colourful
umbrellas, which start at ¥3000 and rise to ¥100,000 for the giant red
parasols often seen outside the most traditional of ryokan. The shop is
less than ten minutes on foot south of the JR station, but tricky to
locate; get the assistants at Gifu tourist information to draw you a
map.
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