Japan Australia: Gifu City

Showing posts with label Gifu City. Show all posts

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Chunichi Shimbun Gifu Fireworks

Held on the last Saturday of July, the Chunichi Shimbun Gifu Fireworks is one of the largest and best fireworks displays in all of Japan. Fireworks are a great summer tradition here In Japan with many firework festivals taking place around Japan in July and August. Fireworks are called Hanabi (花火) in Japanese, which literally means fire flower. The fireworks are just that as they beautifully light up the summer night sky.

The Chunichi Shimbun Gifu Fireworks takes place in Gifu City (岐阜) over the famous Nagara River with Mt Kinka and Gifu Castle as a backdrop. The fireworks last around 90 minutes with approx. 30,000 fireworks set off. The best seat in the house is along the river bank where the fireworks are launched.

This is the must see summer event in Gifu along with the Ukai (Cormorant Fishing). Gifu City is packed on the day with people visiting from all over Japan. The atmosphere is electric with huge lines of street vendors selling all kinds of Japanese festival food and people out and about in their beautiful yukata (summer kimono).

Make sure you arrive early to reserve a good spot and bring along your seating mat. I recommend Nagaragawa Park which is at the northern end of the Nagara Bridge.

Here are a few photos from the festival last year

The Nagara River with Mt Kinka and Gifu Castle in the background

The crowds at the Chunichi Shimbun Gifu Fireworks

Festival Food and Beautiful Yukata

Fireworks ~ The star of the night

Fireworks over the Nagara River

INFORMATION:

WHAT: Chunichi Shimbun Gifu Fireworks
WHEN: Saturday July 26
TIME: 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm
WHERE: Nagara River bank (between the Nagara Bridge and Kinka Bridge)
ACCESS: Special buses run from JR Gifu Station and Meitestu Station

Chunichi Fireworks Festival

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Cherry Blossoms at Inaba Shrine Gifu

Inaba Jinja Shrine (伊奈波神社) is a Shinto shrine located at the foot of Mount Kinka in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture. The shrine is one of the three major Shinto shrines of Gifu City, and is the biggest and most famous. It is a popular spot for hatsumode (first shrine visit of the New Year) and Shichi-Go-San. The shrine has a history of over 1,900 years and was first built in the year 85 AD when Emperor Keiko dedicated the land for a shrine. The god Inishiki-Irihiko-no-Mikoto is enshrined and worshipped here. The shrine was moved to its present location by the samurai warlord, Saito Dosan in 1539. Saito Dosan is widely credited with creating Gifu City as we know it today, and has his own festival on the first Saturday of April, that honours his brave feats. I hope to blog about the festival in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Japan and China Friendship Garden Gifu

The Japan and China Friendship Garden (日中友好庭園) is located right across the road from Gifu Park (岐阜公園) in Gifu City. The garden was created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the friendship and affiliation between Gifu City in Japan and Hangzhou in China. It was also created to further improve the sometimes fragile relationship between these two nations.

Inside the garden is a small version of the West Lake of Hangzhou and some interesting Chinese style architecture including a Hangzhou gate and a pair of guardian lions. The pond and garden has been created to reflect the scenery of the four seasons.

Gifu Park Chrysanthemum Flower Show

During Autumn in Japan Gifu Park comes alive with red and yellow leaves as well as chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemum or “kiku” in Japanese is one of the flowers that are considered to be an unofficial national flower, the other is the “sakura” or cherry blossom. Japan does not have an official national flower, but the chrysanthemum is used as the official seal of the Japanese Imperial Family.

Every Autumn the Chrysanthemum Flower Show is held at Gifu Park in the center of Gifu City. Gifu Park is located at the foot of Mt Kinka, and is where the samurai warlord Oda Nobunaga made his home on his mission to unify Japan. The Chrysanthemum Flower Show features around 3000 pots of various chrysanthemums that are put on display. They include species such as the “Minogiku” which is known for its multi-coloured pedals and originated here in Gifu, as well as “Yamagiku” and “Ogiku” species.

Chrysanthemums at Gifu Park

Chrysanthemum Flower Display

A cool shape created with Chrysanthemum

There is also a Chrysanthemum Doll Show featuring Oda Nobunaga as well as soldiers guarding the huge door to his magnificent palace. The Chrysanthemum garden is also very spectacular and full of bright vibrant colours.

Oda Nobunaga with his court

The Chrysanthemum Garden with lots of colours

Nobunaga's guards at the watch tower

Guards at the entrance to Lord Nobunaga's Palace

Lord Nobunaga with Nohime at Gifu Park

There are also several bonsai flower displays to see through-out the park.

Bonsai Display

Event Details:

Address: Omiya-cho, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture
Admission: FREE
Hours: The park is open 24 hours
Show Period: Late October to Late November

Google Map

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Monday, May 13, 2013

Cormorant Fishing in Gifu

Cormorant Fishing or ukai in Japanese is a major summer attraction on the Nagara River in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Ukai is a traditional fishing method that uses trained cormorants to catch river fish. The art has been practiced along the Nagara River in Gifu for more than 1300 years. It has a very long history in Japan and is mentioned in many ancient chronicles. The samurai warlord Oda Nobunaga took the ukai fisherman under his patronage and created the official position and title of usho (Cormorant Fishing Master). The Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, enjoyed watching ukai when he visited Gifu City and also gave his patronage and protection to the art. He was so fond of the sweetfish he had it delivered to Edo Castle in modern day Tokyo. Today the fishing masters are the official fisherman of the emperor of Japan.

Picture depicting the Cormorant Fishing

Cormorant fishing takes place at night in the darkness. It begins with six long, wooden boats, each manned by a master fisherman and two boatmen, who propel the boat downstream with long wooden poles. The fishermen are dressed in traditional costume of straw skirt, sandals and black kimono. They use the flames of the kagari-bi (fire lanterns) which reflect of the surface of the river to attract the fish. The fishing masters usho use cormorants u to catch the fish as they come to the surface. The cormorants dive underwater to catch the fish by swallowing them whole. A special snare around the neck of the bird prevents them from eating the fish, which are kept in the cormorant’s throat and are retrieved later. The fish are ayu or sweetfish and are very tasty.

It is spectacular to watch and is made even more beautiful by having Mt Kinka and Gifu Castle as a background to the scene.

Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat

The Usho Fishing Masters

There are six Cormorant Fishing Masters on the Nagara River in Gifu City. The title and occupation are inherited and are passed down from generation to generation. Their lives are dedicated to cormorant fishing and the skills and techniques used are honed over many years. They lovingly care and raise their cormorants all year round and take great pride in them.

Bronze Statue of a Fishing Master

The Cormorants

The cormorants are migratory birds and are captured in the wild and trained by the fishing masters to grow into fishing cormorants.

Manhole Cover in Gifu City featuring the famous Cormorants

Where to see Cormorant Fishing in Gifu City

You can view the cormorant fishing free from the banks of the Nagara River east of the Nagarabashi bridge, or for a closer view, from one of the many viewing boats. The boats range in size from 15-50 passengers.

The Ukai season is from May 11 to October 15 and usually start from 7:30 pm. Boats depart nightly (except after flooding or on the night of the harvest moon) from the Nagarabashi bridge.

You can purchase tickets at the Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office at 1-2 Minato-machi Gifu City.

For more information and fishing schedules, visit the tourist information office in Gifu station or the Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office.

There are some spectacular fireworks to celebrate the opening of the Cormorant Fishing Season on May 11th.

Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office

How to Get There

From JR Gifu Station take a Gifu Bus heading towards the Nagara area and get off at the Nagarabashi bus stop. It takes around 15 minutes.

View Larger Map

Website: http://www.gifucvb.or.jp/en/01_sightseeing/01_01.html

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Plum Blossoms at Bairin Koen

Bairin Koen in Gifu City is a famous spot for plum blossoms in Japan. The name Bairin Koen (梅林公園) means “plum grove park” and it certainly lives up to its name with 50 different types of ume or plum blossoms and around 1300 plum trees. About 700 of the trees have white blossoms with the other 600 with red/pink blossoms.

The park was originally a private estate until it passed into the hands of Gifu City, where it was expanded and made into a public park.

The earliest plum blossoms begin blooming in mid-January, with the majority usually reaching their full blossom in late February or early March. The Gifu Ume Matsuri is held around that time in the park on the first Saturday and Sunday of March. It features music, dancing and lots of street vendors selling all kinds of fabulous Japanese festival food.