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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Gifu
岐阜市
Give Gifu one night as a Nagoya side trip: castle and cormorant fishing, then move on. Two nights only if you add Sekigahara or a festival.
Gifu is the capital of Gifu Prefecture and a 20-minute train ride from Nagoya, which is why most travellers see it as a half-day rather than a base. The draw is Mt. Kinka with Gifu Castle on top, the Nagara River cormorant fishing season from mid-May to mid-October, and the Great Buddha at Shōhō-ji. It is also the rail gateway to Takayama, Gero Onsen and Shirakawa-gō, so it works as a first or last stop on an Alps run.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 岐阜市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,500–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–17,000 excl. bed · High ¥17,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup (ramen or kishimen) | ¥800–1,300 |
| Gyoza plate | ¥500–900 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥1,800–2,400 |
| Gifu Bus ride | ¥200–300 |
| Mt. Kinka ropeway, round trip | ¥1,050 adult, ¥520 child |
| Gifu Castle admission | ¥200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NGO · Chubu Centrair (Nagoya)
- Meitetsu trains run direct to Meitetsu Gifu about three times an hour, roughly 1 h; reserved seat needed on μSKY services.
- NKM · Nagoya Komaki
- Domestic flights only; onward by bus and train to Gifu.
Typical fares
- Centrair → Meitetsu Gifu, Meitetsu
- about ¥1,310 unreserved, about 1 h
- Nagoya → Gifu, JR Tokaido Line
- about ¥450, 18–25 min
- Nagoya → Meitetsu Gifu, Meitetsu
- about ¥540, 30 min
- JR Gifu → Takayama, limited express
- about ¥4,800, 2 h 15 min
Get around
Gifu Bus and JR buses cover the centre; Gifu Park is about a 45-minute walk from the station, so most people take a bus, roughly every 10 minutes. Three rent-a-cycle stations downtown (JR Gifu Station, City Hall South Branch, Gifu Park) rent bikes for about ¥100 a day. JR Gifu and Meitetsu Gifu stations are about 400 m apart.
See and do
Known for
- Gifu Castle on Mt. Kinka
- Nagara River cormorant fishing (ukai)
- Gifu Great Buddha at Shōhō-ji
- Gateway to Takayama and Gero Onsen
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sekigahara | JR Tokaido Line to Sekigahara, then walk or local bus to the battlefield sites | About 1 h 15 min |
| Magome (Nakasendō) | JR to Nakatsugawa, then bus up to Magome | About 2 h |
| Takayama | JR Takayama Line limited express from JR Gifu | About 2 h 15 min |
| Gero Onsen | JR Takayama Line limited express from JR Gifu | About 1 h 20 min |
| Shirakawa-gō | Train to Takayama, then the Nōhi bus to Shirakawa-gō | 3.5–4 h |
| Tajimi | JR Tokaido Line to Nagoya, then JR Chuo Line to Tajimi (check a direct service) | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- JR Gifu Station area
- Business hotels within a few minutes of the JR and Meitetsu stations; best for one night with bags and early trains.
- Yanagase
- Downtown drinking and eating district, a short bus or taxi ride from the station; louder at night.
- Gifu Park side
- Closer to the castle ropeway and the river; quieter, fewer beds, check bus times back after dark.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Cormorant fishing runs May 11–Oct 15 only; boats board from about 18:00 and the show ends by 21:00.
- The castle keep sits on Mt. Kinka: ropeway or a steep hike, no road to the top.
- Summer is hot and humid; the castle opens late on summer nights but daytime walking is draining.
- Few highway buses stop in Gifu; coming by bus is usually easier via Nagoya.
Gifu is a low-risk city; the real issues are summer heat, the steep Mt. Kinka trails and late-night Yanagase bars with no posted prices: ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gifu yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gifu Castle on Mt. Kinka
- Nagara River cormorant fishing (ukai)
- Gifu Great Buddha at Shōhō-ji
- Gateway to Takayama and Gero Onsen
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gifu City official site: www.city.gifu.lg.jp/
- Gifu Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.gifucvb.or.jp/en/01_sightseeing/01_01.html
- Nagoya Airport (Komaki): nagoya-airport.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Gifu, revision 5165643 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5165643
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gifu岐阜市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Gifu; most countries keep embassies in Tokyo and consulates-general in Nagoya or Osaka (check yours).
Cormorant fishing (ukai) runs May 11–Oct 15 on the Nagara River; boats board from about 18:00 and the show ends by 21:00.Cormorant fishing (ukai) runs May 11–Oct 15 on the Nagara River; boats board from about 6:00 PM and the show ends by 9:00 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gifu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.