Gujo Hachiman Castle is located in Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, in central Japan. It was originally built in 1559 by a man named Morikazu Endo. Situated on Mount Hachiman at an elevation of 354 meters, it is a mountaintop castle that has been home to five families over 1…
The area of Akechi Town, Ena City, Gifu Prefecture in central Japan flourished during the Meiji and Taisho eras thanks to its silkworm breeding and silk production industries, leaving behind a glorious chapter in history. Taisho Village is a theme park that has preserved the entire Akechi Town just as it was, capturing the atmosphere of the Taisho era. Strolling through the village, visitors can still admire the silkworm-raising practices of the Taisho period…
The Kiso River is a first-class main stream of the Kiso River system, originating from Mount Hakusan in Nagano Prefecture, flowing through Gifu, Aichi, and Mie Prefectures, and finally emptying into Ise Bay. Together with the Ibi and Nagara Rivers, it is known as the “Three Kiso Rivers.” Its upper reaches are also called the “Miso River.” The Kiso River stretches 229 kilometers in total, ranking as the seventh-longest river in Japan…
Mizuho City is a city located in the southwestern part of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, situated in the northwest of the Nōbi Plain, between Gifu City and Ōgaki City. It was established as a city in 2003 and is home to Asahi University. Mizuho City is a place with many rivers, including the well-known Nagara River, Ibi River, Itogawa, Saigawa, and Roku-go River. It is a city rich in...
Ogaki City is a city located in the western part of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. It is currently the only municipality in Japan that has two exclaves. Its primary local specialty is persimmons. The city is also known as the "City of Water," meaning a water town filled with rivers, some of which are used as moats for Ogaki Castle. Ogaki Castle is situated in the city center of…
Seki is a city in central Gifu Prefecture, located in the central part of Japan’s Chubu region along the middle reaches of the Nagara River. It serves as a cultural crossroads between eastern and western Japan and was established as a municipality in 2005. Known as a renowned production center for bladed tools, Seki has a long tradition of knife-making dating back to the Kamakura period. During the Warring States period, the majority of Japan’s blades were produced here, with “Seki no Magoroku” being one of the famous Seki-made Japanese swords…
Kakamigahara City is a city in southern Gifu Prefecture, Japan, with the Kiso River to the south. In recent years, it has rapidly developed due to the presence of the Gifu Air Field. With few fields and many factories, it is a well-known industrial city, home to the base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, as well as aircraft factories of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It is also a production area for carrots and moroheiya radishes…
Hashima City is a city in southern Gifu Prefecture in central Japan, bordered by the Kiso River to the east and the Nagara River to the west. The city system was implemented here in 1954, and it is also home to Gifu Prefectural College of Nursing. Hashima City boasts numerous cultural and historical sites, including Takehana Betsuin, Shofukuji Temple, Yahagi Saruomi, Aso Shrine, Kaganoi Castle…
Nakatsugawa City is a city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, located at the southeastern tip of the prefecture. It was a post town during the Edo period and became a municipality in 1952. It is home to Chukyo Gakuin University. The city has numerous shrines, such as Ena Shrine, Sakashita Shrine, Izumo Fukuju Shrine, Yamaoka Shrine, Hachiman Shrine, Suwa Shrine, and others...
Nunobiki Waterfall is located upstream of the Taki River, a tributary of the Kuji River in Daigo Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, in Japan's Kanto region. It stands 120 meters high and 73 meters wide, and is ranked among Japan’s three most famous waterfalls, alongside Kegon Waterfall in Tochigi Prefecture and Nachi Waterfall in Wakayama Prefecture. Nunobiki Waterfall can be divided into four...
Lake Kasumigaura is a lake located in the southeastern part of Ibaraki Prefecture to the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture in Japan. According to the definition by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kasumigaura refers to the collective body of water composed of Nishiura, Kitaura, Sotonasakaura, Kitakalinokawa, Kaburagawa, and Hitachikalinokawa, among others. Among these, Nishiura is the largest lake, covering an area of 172 square...
Kashima Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in the Kantō region of Japan. Its primary deity is Takemikazuchi-no-Kami. Founded in the legendary first year of Emperor Jimmu’s reign (660 BC), it is the head shrine of approximately 600 Kashima Shrines across Japan and holds an extremely important status. The shrine’s rank (within the Japanese shrine hierarchy)...
Chronicle of Hitachi Hills is a historical park located in Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in Japan’s Kanto region. It is dedicated to preserving and passing on the unique heritage of the area. In addition to its quaint historical ruins, the park is planted with a variety of flowers such as cherry blossoms, lotus, and lilies, creating picturesque scenery throughout all four seasons. It is one of Ishioka City’s...
The official name of Ushiku Daibutsu is Ushiku Amida Daibutsu, a large Buddhist statue located in Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Completed in 1989 and owned by Nishi Honganji (the Western Hongan Temple), the statue stands 120 meters tall from head to toe and weighs 4,000 tons. It is the tallest building in Ibaraki Prefecture and the second tallest Buddhist statue in the world. Ushiku Daibutsu is…
Introduction Tsukuba City is located in Ibaraki Prefecture to the northeast of Tokyo, approximately 60 kilometers from central Tokyo, covering an area of 28,400 hectares. It is a city with a high concentration of research facilities and educational institutions, often referred to as Japan’s “Silicon Valley.” The city boasts a clean urban landscape and beautiful surroundings, with buildings of diverse styles and soft, muted colors...
Hitachi Seaside Park is located in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Rather than being just a park, it is more like a garden, as it is an ocean, world, and paradise of flowers in every season. Each season presents visitors with a vibrant landscape, offering daily sights of...
Although the name "Kochia Hill" contains the word "hill," it cannot be defined as the towering mountains we usually see. It is actually a small hill made famous by the kochia plant, located in Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and has become one of Japan's most well-known floral hills. Kochia is an annual upright herbaceous flowering plant with a plant height...
Also known as Kuri-shita Inari or Monosaburo Inari, Kasama Inari Shrine is located in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and enshrines Ukanomitama-no-Kami. Its annual festival is held on April 9. It is said to have been founded in the second year of the Hakuchi era (661), and along with Fushimi Inari Taisha in ancient Kyoto—the head shrine of all Inari shrines—and Yutoku Inari Shrine in Saga Prefecture...
Kodai-ji is located in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in the Kantō region of Japan. It was commissioned in the 13th year of the Tenpō era (1842) by Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth lord of the Mito Domain, and is counted among Japan’s Three Great Gardens alongside Korakuen in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, and Kenrokuen in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Kodai-ji is open to the public on the 3rd and 8th of every month (i.e., the 3rd, 8th, 13th, 18th, 23rd, and 28th), …
Mount Tsukuba is a peak located at the northern end of Tsukuba City in the southern part of Japan’s Kanto region, with an elevation of 877 meters. It consists of Mount Nantai (871 meters) to the west and Mount Nyotai (877 meters) to the east. With its graceful form, it is often compared to Mount Fuji, leading to the age-old saying “Fuji in the west, Tsukuba in the east.”…