Gifu prefecture is geographically called “the center of gravity of Japan”. It is located right above Aichi prefecture so it is considered to part of Nagoya economical area. Historically, Gifu prefecture used to be called “美濃” (“Mino” – deep beauty) and it was the center of national traffic. So Daimyos (local leaders of samurais) tried to own this strategically important area fiercely. “織田信長” (“Oda Nobunaga” – the biggest daimyo in the 16th century) changed the name to Gifu (“岐阜”), with the intent to unify Japan and  bring peace to it.

Gifu prefecture has six rivers and is famous for its clear waters. In Nagara river, you are able to see “鵜飼い” (Ukai- Fishing by controlling bird) and “白河郷” (Shirakawa gou) is a UNESCO world heritage site. Gifu prefecture is a rural and mountainous region so it gets very hot in summer and very cold in winter generally. This fact means Gifu also has a great variety of nature and landscapes. Living cost is relatively cheap and many foreigners are living in this prefecture. Many Japanese Brazilian, Filipinos and Filipinas are living in this prefecture and recently the number of Chinese people there is increasing. Especially, 10% of “美濃加茂市” (Minokamo city)’s population is made of foreign people.

Check our affiliated school in Gifu by clicking here.

The famous village of Shirakawa