Gifu, Japan: Towns to Explore on Foot

Looking for things to do in Gifu? Gifu Prefecture brings together mountain landscapes, river traditions and some of Japan’s most important historical routes. From the Hida Mountains in the north to the fertile Nōbi Plain in the south, it is a region worth exploring for its changing scenery and its place in the story of Japan. Neywo has free audio guides for three cities in Gifu, with 26 narrated places in total and two walking tours.

What to see and do in Gifu

Gifu sits in the center of Japan, and its geography has shaped its history. Routes between east and west once converged here, including the Nakasendō, one of the main roads of the Edo period. The region was also the setting for the Jinshin War in 672 and, much later, the Battle of Sekigahara.

Modern Gifu includes the former provinces of Hida and Mino, as well as smaller parts of Echizen and Shinano. Its historical importance is especially visible in the towns and landscapes that preserve these different layers of the past.

Explore Gujo

Gujo is one of the Gifu destinations covered by Neywo. Its narrated places include Nabi Shingū Shrine, Gujo-Hachiman Hakurankan, Hakusan Ryūhōden and Kokoro no Mori Museum Yūdōkan.

The town is connected to Gifu’s cultural and regional history, and its museums and shrine provide different ways to explore that heritage. Neywo covers 13 narrated places in Gujo, making it the city with the largest selection of stops in the prefecture’s guide.

Visit Shirakawa

Shirakawa offers a smaller selection of narrated sites, including Suiraku-en and Auschwitz Peace Museum Japan. These places reflect the range of experiences available in Gifu, from local settings to sites connected with wider historical memory.

Shirakawa is one of three Gifu cities available in the Neywo audio guide, with two narrated places to discover.

Discover Takayama

Takayama is another important stop in northern Gifu. Neywo includes 11 narrated places here. The listed places include パスカル清見, which appears among the guide’s featured stops.

Takayama belongs to the Hida area, the mountainous northern part of the prefecture. Its setting helps show how sharply Gifu changes from south to north, from the open plains around Mino to the high country of the Hida Mountains.

See the Hida Mountains and Northern Alps

Northern Gifu rises into the Hida Mountains, known in Japan as the Northern Alps. This highland landscape gives the prefecture a very different character from the southern Nōbi Plain.

The mountains are also home to snow grouse, which are nationally protected. Their presence is part of Gifu’s wider natural identity, where high-altitude habitats exist alongside fertile agricultural land and major rivers.

Follow the rivers of Gifu

Water is central to life and tradition in the prefecture. The Nagara River is known for cormorant fishing, a practice that has continued for more than 1,300 years. The prefecture’s rivers also support ayu, a fish valued for its sweet taste and found in many waterways across Gifu.

These traditions connect the region’s natural environment with the communities that live beside its rivers. They also reveal why Gifu is more than a destination for historic sites: its landscape continues to shape local culture.

Compare northern and southern Gifu

One of the most rewarding things to do in Gifu is to notice the contrast between its regions. In the north, mountain scenery and a humid continental climate create a colder setting. In the south, Mino extends across the fertile Nōbi Plain, where agriculture has long been important.

Most of the prefecture’s population lives in this southern area, near Nagoya. Around Mino, low mountains surround the plain, contributing to hot summers and cold winters. Travelling through Gifu therefore brings substantial changes in scenery, climate and atmosphere within the same prefecture.

Trace Gifu’s connection with Oda Nobunaga

Gifu’s history is closely associated with Oda Nobunaga and Saitō Dōsan. Nobunaga lived in the area for a long time and renamed the capital city Gifu in 1567, during his campaign to unify Japan.

The name was connected with a legendary Chinese mountain associated with unification and with the birthplace of Confucius. From this period came the saying that whoever controls Gifu controls Japan, a phrase that captures the region’s strategic importance during the Sengoku period.

Explore Gifu with Neywo’s free audio guide

Neywo offers free audio guides for three cities in Gifu: Gujo, Shirakawa and Takayama. Together, they include 26 narrated places and two walking tours. The narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace. There is no group and no schedule, so you can explore independently and stop whenever you want. Download Neywo to discover Gifu while walking through its historic towns, river landscapes and mountain regions.