Things to do in  Gifu Prefecture

Each morning, the Takayama Morning Markets bring life to the streets of Takayama as locals and tourists wander from stall to stall, shopping for vegetables, handicrafts, and snacks. Two markets comprise the Takayama Morning Markets: the Jinya-Mae market outside the Takayama Jinya and the Miyagawa market along the city’s eastern riverbank.

Lined with traditional buildings and houses from the Edo period, Sannomachi Street preserves centuries of Japanese culture. This popular walking street is located at the southern end of the Old Town of Takayama, known for its shops, restaurants, street-food stalls, and sake breweries.

The Nakasendo Way is an ancient 331-mile (534-kilometer trail connecting Kyoto and Tokyo that was once frequented by samurai and traders. These days, a shorter 5-mile (8-kilometer walking trail connecting the villages of Tsumago and Magome, through the Kiso Valley in Nagano Prefecture, is a popular day hike. This shorter section offers visitors an opportunity to experience history, culture, and beautiful nature on an easy hike.

Dating back to the 5th century, the Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine is an important Shinto religious site in the northeast of Takayama. The shrine is also home to the annual Takayama Autumn Festival, and hosts the festival’s collection of floats within the Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall (or Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan).

Owned by the same family for 13 generations, the Kusakabe Folk Museum in Hida Takayama provides a fantastic glimpse into life in Japan during the Edo period. This two-story structure, built in the late 19th century after the family's original Edo-period home was destroyed in a fire, was designed in the same style as the original.

Located in Takayama City and discovered in 1965, the Hida Great Limestone Cave is unusual for its helictites, limestone formations that curve horizontally rather than vertically like the more common stalactites and stalagmites. The connected Ohashi Collection Kan Museum displays an eclectic array of artifacts from a private collection.

Perched atop the 1,079-foot (329-meter) Mt. Kinka, Gifu Castle’s elevated position made it an excellent defensive fortification during Japan’s turbulent Warring States period. First built in the early 13th century, the castle is now a National Historic Site and offers commanding views of the surrounding area, including the Nagara River and the city of Gifu.