Gifu, Gifu

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Gifu City (岐阜市; Gifu-shi) is the capital city of Gifu Prefecture in the Chubu region of central Japan.

The name Gifu was given in the Warring States Period by Oda Nobunaga, a leading feudal lord of the 16th Century. He renamed what was previously called Inoguchi Village in Mino Province after a legendary mountain, Qishan (岐山), from which most of ancient China was unified. Though Nobunaga was originally from the neighboring province that is now Aichi Prefecture, he lived in Gifu Castle atop Mt. Kinka for nine years, using it as his base to unify Japan.

Contents

1 Industry
2 Lifestyle
3 Museums
4 Transportation

4.1 Railroad
4.2 National Highways

5 Sister Cities/Friendship Cities
6 External links

Industry

Textiles

Gifu has long been a center of textile production and trade. Its main downtown covered shopping arcade, Yanagase (柳ヶ瀬), encloses hundreds of clothing, shoes, and accessories shops that carry both domestic and overseas goods.

Manufacturing

Due to its proximity to Aichi prefecture, which is home to many major automotive and heavy industry companies such as Toyota, many metalworking, mold and die, and parts subcontractors have factories and facilities in Gifu.

Lifestyle

Gifu City proper is generally considered a bedroom community to nearby Nagoya, which is evident in the numerous apartment complexes that are within easy reach of the downtown area. As of January, 2006, a 47-story high-rise building -- to be the tallest in Gifu Prefecture -- is under construction in front of Gifu Station, the upper 30 floors of which will be subdivided into 2- and 3-bedroom apartment space.

Museums

Kato Eizo-Toichi Memorial Art Museum
Gifu City Archives Museum
Gifu City Museum of History
Gifu City Science Museum
Museum of Fine Art, Gifu
Nawa Insect Museum

Transportation

Railroad

JR Tokai (Central Japan Railway Company)
*JR Tokaido Main Line: Gifu Station, Nishi Gifu Station
*JR Takayama Line: Gifu Station, Nagamori Station

Gifu Station is a central hub that connects Gifu City with major cities throughout Japan, the nearest being Nagoya. The shinkansen does not go through Gifu Station. Instead, the nearest stations are Gifu Hashima Station (in Hashima City) and Nagoya Station.

Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad)
*Nagoya Main Line: Meitetsu Gifu Station, Chajo Station, Kano Station
*Meitetsu Kakamigahara Line: Meitetsu Gifu Station, Tagami Station, Hosobata Station, Kiridoshi Station, Tejikara Station
*Meitetsu Takehana Line: Yanaizu Station

Meitetsu also owned a street car line through Gifu City. It was shut down on April 1, 2005.

National Highways

Highway 21, Highway 22 (overlapping)
Highway 156
Highway 157
Highway 248
Highway 256
Highway 303

Sister Cities/Friendship Cities

Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil (est. 1982, Sister City)

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America (est. 1988, Sister City)

Florence, Italy (est. 1978, Sister City)

Hangzhou, Zhejian Province, China (est. Feb. 1979, Friendship City)

Meidling District, Vienna, Austria (est. 1994, Sister City)

External links

[Gifu official website] in Japanese
#redirect

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