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Sunday, April 11, 2021

Cherry Blossoms along the Nagara River in Gifu

The second spot on my sakura hunting mission were the beautiful cherry blossoms along the banks of the Nagara River just outside of Gifu Gokoku Shrine in Gifu City.

The Nagara River, which is a beloved symbol of Gifu City along with Mount Kinka and Gifu Castle, flows through the city with its source starting in Gujo, a picturesque riverside town in the mountains north of Gifu City. The river is famous for being one of Japan’s “Three Clear-Flowing Rivers”, as well as being named one of Japan’s top “100 Bodies of Water”.

Cherry blossoms along the Nagara River

 


The ancient art of ukai (cormorant fishing) has a history of over 1,300 years, and takes place from May 11 to October 15 every year along the Nagara River in Gifu City. There are only twelve places in all of Japan where you can see ukai, with the cormorant fishing masters on the Nagara River, the only ones granted the title of “Imperial Fisherman of the Household Agency.” 

Cherry blossoms with the ukai viewing boats

 


There are about 400 somei yoshino cherry blossom trees along the south bank of the Nagara River, which become pretty in pink during spring. 


 

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Cherry Blossoms at Gifu Gokoku Shrine

This year the cherry blossoms reached peak bloom a lot earlier than usual in Gifu City. I just had to pick up my camera and head out to explore some of my favourite sakura spots in Gifu. First up is Gifu Gokoku Shrine which is close to the Nagara River.

Gifu Gokoku Shrine is a Shinto shrine located at the base of Mount Kinka near Gifu Park in Gifu City. The shrine is dedicated to the residents of Gifu Prefecture who have died in wars since the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

History

Plans to construct the shrine were made after the Russo-Japanese War ended in 1905, but actual construction did not start until 1939 and was completed in 1940. 

The Entrance to Gifu Gokoku Shrine
 

Cherry Blossoms

Gifu Gokoku Shrine is known for its sakura (cherry blossoms) in spring. There are a few cherry blossom trees in the shrine’s precincts, but the best spot is along the road just outside the shrine leading to the Nagara Bridge, where you can catch the beautiful blossoms with amazing views of the Nagara River as well as the shrine architecture. 

Cherry Blossoms at Gifu Gokoku Shrine

 
Stone Lantern and Cherry Blossoms at Gifu Gokoku Shrine

Shrine Gate and Cherry Blossoms
 

The shrine is also famous for its ukai-zakura cherry blossom tree, which is one of the earliest bloomers in Gifu City. The large tree was planted over 100 years ago and is about 8 meters tall. The stunning tree received its name (ukai-zakura) because it is said that its blossoms can predict the amount of ayu (sweet fish) caught during the upcoming ukai (cormorant fishing) season. A bumper bloom means a lot of delicious ayu and a good ukai season.

The tree hadn’t quite reached peak bloom during my visit on March 26, 2021, but still looked beautiful anyway. 

Ukai Zakura at Gifu Gokoku Shrine

 
Cherry Blossoms at Gifu Gokoku Shrine

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Super Nintendo World Opens in Osaka Japan

Some great news this month with the opening of the brand new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan. This interactive world allows you to immerse yourself in the incredible land of Mario with characters from the Super Mario video game series.  

Universal Studios Japan is a popular theme park in Osaka, Japan which originally opened in 2001. USJ, which it is affectionately called by locals is home to 10 sections: Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Jurassic Park, Waterworld, Amity Village, Universal Wonderland, Minion Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the brand new Super Nintendo World.

Super Nintendo World officially opened on March 18, 2021, and is based on the Super Mario, Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Island franchises. 

Photo: Universal Studios Japan

 

The attractions at Super Nintendo World include:

Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge – an interactive ride that features AR (Augmented Reality) technology, based on the Mario Kart franchise. Iconic Mario Kart courses have been brought to life with cutting-edge technology such as AR, projection mapping and special effects.

Yoshi’s Adventure – a ride themed after the Yoshi character and series. Hop on Yoshi for an adorable adventure as you search for Captain Toad on a treasure hunt.

Power Up Band Key Challenges – a treasure-hunt style interactive adventure, where players have to find keys to defeat Bowser Jr. in a final boss battle. Visitors can purchase Power-up Bands, a wristband that can be linked to a smartphone application, which allows players to jump and punch “question blocks” and collect virtual coins and keys which are stored on the app. Visitors can compete with other gamers in the park to be the champion. 

Photo: Universal Studios Japan

 

The fun doesn’t stop at the rides and attractions. You can enjoy delicious Mario themed goodies at Kinopio’s Cafe.

As Mario himself would say, “Let’s-a-go to Super Nintendo World.”

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