Gifu's Traditions and Craftsmanship

Shirakawa-go is a gassho-zukuri village in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The steeply-pitched thatched-roof houses with their distinctive gassho design are scattered throughout the rural landscape, embodying Japan's original pastoral scenery.

The winter illumination event is enchanting, showcasing the gassho-zukuri houses blanketed in snow.

Takayama's historic streetscape is designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings by the Japanese government. The streets lined with traditional wooden merchant houses featuring decorative lattice fronts are called the 'Little Kyoto of Hida,' preserving the atmosphere of an Edo-period castle town in remarkable detail.

Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan is a facility in Mino City dedicated to showcasing the charm of Mino washi, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Visitors can observe the manufacturing process of Mino washi, which boasts over 1,300 years of history, and try their hand at papermaking.

The hands-on experience of scooping mulberry fibers to create your own original washi is enjoyable for both children and adults. Your finished washi can be taken home as a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

The Seki Bladesmithing Heritage Museum is a facility in Seki City, famous as Japan's blade capital, showcasing the history and techniques of Japanese swords and blades. Seki is a blade-producing region with over 700 years of history, and continues to maintain world-class quality to this day.

Inside the museum, you can view exhibits of Japanese swords, and on certain days, you can observe live demonstrations of sword forging.