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Photo: Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Gifu Castle sits atop Mt. Kinka, and the main attraction is a 360-degree panoramic view from the top floor. The castle was historically significant as Oda Nobunaga used it as a headquarters when unifying Japan, however the castle was destroyed in 1601, after the Battle of Sekigahara. The current castle was completed in 1956 and underwent a major renovation in 1997. Inside the castle is a small museum with armor, swords, maps, etc. The castle is open for night viewing in the summer. Getting to the top of Mt. Kinka requires either a ropeway ride or a hike.
Gifu Castle is a Japanese castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city. The castle is also known as Inabayama Castle . It was designated a National Historic Site in 2011.
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金華山
Mt. Kinka is a 329-meter peak next to Gifu Park, with good views of the Nagara River and the city below. On top of Mt. Kinka is Gifu Castle, a small castle museum, and a "squirrel park". Most people will take the ropeway to the top. As an alternative, you can hike through the forest, taking either the shorter and steeper hyaku-magari ('100-bend') or the longer and gentler nana-magari ('7-bend') trail. Each will take over an hour, and good hiking footwear is recommended, especially on the "100-bend" (actually 135-bend) trail. The meiso no komichi (めい想の小径) trail is easier, with some steep sections, and is a popular school outing for local kindergartens; while the uma no se (馬の背 'horseback') trail is direct and more demanding.
加藤栄三・東一記念美術館 Katō eizō-tōichi kinen bijutsukan
It was established in 1991 as a place to admire the well-known Japanese artists, Eizo and Toichi Kato, who were both born in Gifu. It houses paintings by the Kato brothers and holds a variety of exhibitions for the locals.
名和昆虫博物館 Nawa konchū hakubutsukan
The Nawa Insect Museum has been open since 1919 and is the oldest insect museum in Japan. In this museum, familiar insects, as well as rare and attractive species from all over the world, are exhibited. The museum also sells entomology tools and there are also talks about insects. Because the building is very important for historical value, the museum is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
岐阜市歴史博物館
There are exhibition corners where you can experience history while being introduced to it. In particular, the Castle Town of the Warring States Period is displayed in-scale and the Rakuichi-ba has been restored. (Rakuichi-ba is the Free Market established by Oda Nobunaga for the promotion of the Castle Town economy by drawing in merchants.
岐阜公園
See beautiful scenery all year round. Places of interest in Gifu Park are a statue of Nobunaga, the Oda Nobunaga Palace Ruins, the Kabukimon, the Gifu City Museum of History, and the Nawa Insect Museum.
正法寺大仏
The Gifu Daibutsu (Great Statue of Buddha) is located southwest of Gifu Park in the Colossal Hall of the Great Buddha here at Kinpōzan Shōhō-ji Temple. It is basketwork-style, painted with lacquer, and plated gold. It is the largest Buddha statue of this type in Japan. The statue is 13.7 meters tall. The ears are 2.1 meters long and the nose is 0.4 meters wide. It contains an image of the Yakushi-nyorai made by Jikaku-daishi.