Everything about Gifu Prefecture totally explained
is a
prefecture located in the
Chūbu region of central
Japan. Its capital is the city of
Gifu. Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the
Nakasendō. During the
Sengoku period, many people referred to Gifu by saying, "control Gifu and you control Japan."
History
The land area that makes up modern-day Gifu became part of the
Yamato Court around the middle of the fourth century. Because it's in the middle of the island of
Honshū, it has been the site of many decisive battles throughout Japan's history, the oldest major one being the
Jinshin War in
672, which led to the establishment of
Emperor Temmu as the 40th emperor of Japan.
The land area of Gifu Prefecture consists of the
old provinces of
Hida and
Mino, as well as smaller parts of
Echizen and
Shinano. The name of the prefecture derives from its capital city,
Gifu, which was named by
Oda Nobunaga during his campaign to unify all of Japan in 1567. The first character used comes from Qishan (
岐山), a legendary mountain from which most of China was unified, whereas the second character comes from
Qufu (曲
阜), the birthplace of
Confucius. Nobunaga chose those characters because he wanted to unify all of Japan and he wanted to be viewed as a great mind.
Historically, the prefecture served as the center of swordmaking in all of Japan, with
Seki being known for making the best swords in Japan. More recently, its strengths have been in fashion (primarily in the city of Gifu) and aerospace engineering (
Kakamigahara).
On
October 28,
1891, the present-day city of
Motosu was the
epicenter for the
Mino-Owari Earthquake, the largest earthquake to ever hit Japan. The earthquake, estimated at
8.0 earthquake, left a huge cleft in the ground that can still be seen today.
Geography
One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu Prefecture shares borders with seven other prefectures:
Aichi,
Fukui,
Ishikawa,
Mie,
Nagano,
Shiga and
Toyama Prefectures. Japan's
postal codes all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, giving further proof of its location in the center of Japan.
Regions
Gifu Prefecture has five unofficial regions, which allows local municipalities to work together to promote the surrounding area. The five regions are
Seinō (西濃),
Gifu (岐阜),
Chūnō (中濃),
Tōnō (東濃) and
Hida (飛騨). The borders of the regions are loosely defined, but they're usually delineated among major cities.
Topography
The northern
Hida region is dominated by tall mountains, including parts of the
Japanese Alps. The southern
Mino region is mostly made up of parts of the fertile
Nōbi Plain, a vast plains area with arable soil. Most of the prefecture's population resides in the southern part of the prefecture, near the
designated city of
Nagoya.
The mountainous Hida region contains both the
Hida Mountains,which are referred to as the "Northern Alps," and the
Kiso Mountains, which are known as the "Central Alps" in Japan. The
Ryōhaku Mountains are also located in the Hida region. Other major ranges include the
Ibuki Mountains and the
Yōrō Mountains.
Much of the Mino region is made up of the
alluvial plain of the
Kiso Three Rivers, which are the
Ibi River,
Kiso River and
Nagara River. The source for all three rivers is located in Nagano Prefecture and they eventually run through Aichi and Mie prefectures before emptying into
Ise Bay. Other major rivers in the prefecture include the
Jinzū,
Takahara,
Shō,
Shōnai,
Yahagi and
Itoshiro rivers.
Weather
Because the Mino region is surrounded by low mountains, the temperature fluctuates through the year, from hot summers to cold winters. The eastern city of
Tajimi, for example, generally records the hottest temperature throughout all of Japan each year and, on
August 16,
2007, it set the record for hottest recorded day in Japan's history—40.9 degrees Celsius. The summers are made hotter because the landlocked area becomes a heat island, which is further worsened when hot, dry
foehn winds blow over the Ibuki Mountains out of the
Kansai region. The Hida region, with its higher elevation, is generally cooler than the Mino region, though there are sometimes extremely hot days there, as well.
Shōkawa-chō, part of the city of
Takayama, is located up in the mountains and its location has led it to be called the coldest inhabitted place on Honshū.
Economy
Gifu's economy includes many traditional industries such as paper-making and agriculture, but it's dominated by manufacturing industries extending from the Nagoya area, such as aerospace and automotive industry. A major characteristic of Gifu's industry is a wealth of small component manufacturers, such as precision machining, die and mold making, and plastic forming.
Traditional Industries
The Mino region has long been known for its high-quality paper called
Mino washi, which is stronger and thinner than most other papers in Japan and was used by the Japanese military during
World War II. Other paper-based industries include
Gifu Lanterns and
Gifu Umbrellas, which are made in the capital city. Other traditional goods include
Mino-yaki pottery (in
Tajimi,
Toki and
Mizunami),
cutlery (in
Seki) and
lacquerware (in
Takayama).
Because Gifu has vast, arable plains, agriculture is also a large industry. The forests to the north also provide plenty of source material for wood-working (which includes the viewing boats used in
cormorant fishing). The clear-flowing rivers are also often used to brew
sake.
Modern Industries
Kakamigahara has a large role in the prefecture's modern industries. It boasts large aerospace facilities of both
Kawasaki Heavy Industries and
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, as well as many
metalworking and
manufacturing companies.
Information technology (IT) is gaining a foothold in the prefecture with both
Softopia Japan in
Ōgaki and VR Techno Japan (part of Techno Plaza) in Kakamigahara. The capital city of Gifu, located between Ōgaki and Kakamigahara, is also working to strengthen its IT fields, too.
Tourism
Gifu has many popular tourist attractions, bringing visitors to all parts of the prefecture. The most popular places are Gifu,
Gero,
Shirakawa and
Takayama. Gifu is famous for
cormorant fishing, which has a history of over 1,300 years, as for being a long-term residence of both Oda Nobunaga and
Saitō Dōsan. Gero is known for its relaxing
hot springs, which attract visitors throughout the year. Shirakawa's
historic villages are a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Takayama is famous for retaining its original appearance and is often referred to as
Little Kyoto.
In addition to international tourists, Gifu also plays host to many international events. The
World Event and Convention Complex Gifu is available for many types of events. Other areas of Gifu, too, bring international events, such as in 2005 when the
World Rowing Championships were held in the city of
Kaizu.
Demographics
As of
September 1,
2007, the prefecture's population is 2,101,969, with approximately 1.8 million people living in the cities and the rest living in towns and villages. The percentage of male and female residents is 48.4% and 51.6%, respectively.
The prefectural logo (
see right) expands from the red dot into the center to the outer two lines and, finally, the yellow plain. This symbol was chosen in
1991 for the development and expansion of the prefecture.
The prefecture also has two plants (the
milk vetch and the
Japanese yew) and two animals (the
snow grouse and the
ayu) as symbols. The milk vetch was chosen in
1954, because the prefecture is well known for its abundance of blooming milk vetch each spring. The yew was chosen in
1966, because it's the tree used to make ornamental sceptors for the emperor, many of which came from the Hida district. The snow grouse was chosen in
1961, as the birds live up in the Japanese alps and is a nationally-protected species. Ayu were chosen in
1989, because the fish is found in many prefectural rivers and is prized for its sweet taste.
Municipalities
All of the cities, towns, villages and districts of Gifu Prefecture are listed below
Cities
Twenty-one cities are located in Gifu Prefecture:
Towns and villages
Towns and villages in each
district:
Mergers
Further Information
Get more info on 'Gifu Prefecture'.
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