History / Culture / Tour Spots in Hida Area

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Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Shirakawa-go

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi

A village located in Ogi-machi, Shirakawa Village, Ono County, Gifu Prefecture where many old-fashioned “gassho-zukuri” style homes, distinguished by their steep thatched roofs, can still be found. Still used as living spaces today, this rare collection of buildings has been designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the picturesque scenery of these traditional homes backed by mountains in the distance, visitors can catch a glimpse of the lifestyle and ingenious measures of a Japanese mountain village living in harmony with nature. There are also numerous souvenir shops and restaurants, and this popular destination is visited by great numbers of people from around the country and the world.
Wada House

4.0

310 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 997

Wada House is an example of a Shirakawa town thatched-roof ridgepole Gassho style house. It is the largest Gassho style house remaining in Shirakawa Village, and the house has a frontage of 25.48 meters and a depth of 12.74 meters. The current state of preservation of the gardens, hedges, rural district and waterways is also good and it looks beautiful. Although it is currently being used as a dwelling, you can take a tour of the house’s interior, and a fire is always set in the irori fire pit all year round, so you will also be able to make yourself at home around the irori fire pit. In 1995, the house was designated as a Cultural Property of Japan.

Visiting Wada house allows you to travel back in times when big families used to live and farm together; allows you to visualize how each member in the family was involved in different errands; the...
Kanda House

4.0

188 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 796

This old private house with a gassho-zukuri sloping roof was built in the late Edo period (around 1850). It's approximately seven minutes on foot from the Shirakawa-go Bus Terminal. It belonged to the Kanda family who brewed sake in Shirakawa-go. Because of the layout and the many handprints from the carpenters on the roof trusses, it's considered an outstanding example of gassho-zukuri slope roofed architecture. The fire in the traditional irori hearth burns year-round, and you can enjoy homemade wild herb tea brewed with water heated over it in an iron kettle. Looking around the rest of the building is fine too, and you can bring your pet with you if you hold it. Reservations are recommended.

I loved this house. Best of the three to visit. Lots to see, and use a QR reader for much more information.
On-sen-ji Temple

4.0

121 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Pref. Geroshi Yunoshima 680

This temple is 15 minutes on foot from JR Gero Station. Temple legend says that Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha himself, announced the presence of Gero's hot springs. Climbing the 173 stone steps from the Jizo-do subtemple, you'll come to the temple gate. There's a sweeping view of Gero's townscape from the temple grounds. The tranquil vantage point and peaceful scenery make it a relaxing place for a break while sightseeing. They hold the Yakushi Festival annually on March 8, as well as free Zen meditation workshops on the 13th of every month that are open to all. In autumn they illuminate the colored leaves of the trees around the temple in the evening. The leaves stand out vividly against the night sky as you stroll along or gaze at them from the foot bath.

We walked to this temple from Yunoshimakan after breakfast and a soak in the outdoor hot spring (with snow falling on our heads). The snow was so fresh that we could kick it up. The temple itself...
Hidafurukawa Festival Hall

4.0

44 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Hida-shi Furukawacho Ichinomachi 14-5

Shame we missed the parde by a couple of weeks. But seeing the floats up close in the hall and the surrounding area is very cool.
Nagase House

4.0

86 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 823-2

This five-story gassho (large thatched roof) style house is located an eight-minute walk from Shirakawago Bus Terminal. Its main feature is its roof, with a single pillar (gassho pillar) around 11 meters long piercing through it from top to bottom. It is an old house that has stood for 250 years. Since the first to third generations were doctors, medical tools from the Edo period (1603-1868) still remain. In 2001, the roof retiling performed for the first time in 80 years was broadcast on television and became a popular topic of discussion. Even now, a video is broadcast inside showing the building being retiled by about 500 volunteers.

I enjoyed this house very much. Lots of interesting items to see on the top floor. Open until 5pm for 300 yen.
Gero Museum of Hot Springs

4.0

78 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Gifu Pref. Geroshi Yunoshima 543-2

This museum is a ten-minute walk from Gero Station. They present both scientific and cultural perspectives on hot springs around Japan. There are five exhibit areas: Science of Hot Springs, Cultures of Hot Springs, Welcome to Gero Onsen, The Room of Dr. Onsen, and Omoshiro Challenge! Hot Springs! You can actually check the salinity and pH of a hot spring and learn about the history of Gero Onsen through valuable photos, materials, a diorama, and more. Books on hot springs are also available. They have a foot bath you can walk in, too.

We went up to the museum to try the foot bath and paid the small entrance fee. We didn’t expect the museum itself to be such a highlight but it was. The man working there was so helpful and even...
Zenshoji Temple

4.5

22 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Gero-shi Hagiwaracho Churo 1089

A 5-minute walk from Zenjoji Station on the JR Takayama Line, this Zen temple of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect was founded in the Heian period (794-1185) and is one of the ten oldest temples in Japan, boasting a magnificent architecture in the Chinese Song Dynasty style. There are also many attractions such as a large cedar over 1,200 years old, designated as a national natural treasure, and a plum tree hand-planted by an imperial envoy.

いとこ夫婦と一緒に、下呂温泉から数キロ北にある禅昌寺を訪れました。無料の駐車スペースあり。紅葉の時期はとっくに過ぎていましたが、境内ではもみじやカエデなどはまだ赤く色付いていました。参道に降り積もった紅葉の葉がひっそりとした雰囲気を作っていました。参拝客は数人程度で心静かに散策するにはちょうど良かったです。特に、庭園や鐘撞堂の周りに立つもみじなどの紅葉は素晴らしかったです。
Honko-ji Temple

3.5

23 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Pref. Hidashi Furukawachouninomachi 1-17

The Honko-ji Temple is a temple belonging to the Hongan-ji sect of the Jodo Shinshu School of Buddhism, located in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture. The temple is renowned as one of the finest in the Hida region thanks to its magnificent Hon-do main hall (made almost entirely from Japanese Cypress wood), Shoro (bell tower), and San-mon (main gate). The Honko-ji Temple is one of the temples visited in the Hida Furukawa Three Temples Pilgrimage, an important winter event in the Hida-Furukawa region that takes place on January 15 every year. On this day, the banks of the Setogawa River and the historic streets are lined with around one thousand traditional Japanese-style candles and large “snow candles”; in this magical atmosphere, pilgrims visit and pray at first the Honko-ji Temple, then the Enko-ji Temple and the Shinshu-ji Temple.

飛騨古川の古い町並みの中にあるお寺。飛騨古川の三寺まいりのひとつで、最も大きなお寺です。山門も本堂もとても立派なものです。
Moriminashi Hachiman Shrine

4.0

11 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Gero-shi Mori 1321

"This old temple in a corner of the hot spring town is located approximately a ten-minute walk from Gero Station. From the Heian period to the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Hida craftsmen carved ten wooden idols that are stored here, and all of them have been designated as national important cultural properties. Every year on February 14th, there is a traditional festival called ""Tanokami Festival"" to usher in spring in Hidaji area. It is said to be based on ritual performances done since the middle ages so as to celebrate an abundant harvest of rice in advance. It is also nicknamed the ""Hanagasa Festival"" because of the local young dancers who wear brightly colored hanagasa hats, and this has been designated a national important intangible cultural asset."

駅の対岸にあります。階段は結構急でした。境内は街中の神社といった感じです。人はいませんがお賽銭箱の近くに書置き御朱印があります。
Hida Space Science Museum KamiokaLab

4.0

6 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Gifu Hida-shi Kamiokacho Yuhigaoka 6

神岡鉱山の奥深くに作られた宇宙線観測装置カミオカンデによる研究で2人のノーベル賞受賞者が出ました。一般の人は神岡鉱山には入れないので、この施設ではカミオカンデや重力波観測装置の模擬装置でどんな施設かがわかる展示館です。この展示館は道の駅スカイドーム神岡の中にあり、無料で見学できます。宇宙線や重力波など一般の人には馴染みのない物理現象やその観測について丁寧に分かりやすく説明する展示で、道の駅利用時は...
Glass Museum Koma

4.0

3 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Gifu Pref. Hidashi Furukawachousannomachi 1-17

An art museum located a five minute walk from Hida-Furukawa Station on the Takayama Main Line. The museum displays glassware produced in Japan from the end of the Edo period to the early Showa period, and the museum’s collection spans some 800 pieces. The pieces on display are extremely diverse, and include miniature lamps, shaved ice bowls, and glass timepieces; many draw the eye with their vivid coloring. The museum also has uranium glass pieces which glow with a characteristic fluorescent luster. Be sure to note the museum’s Taisho Roman-style exterior, which blends in with the surrounding townscape. The museum is closed during the New Year’s holidays and also only opens on Saturdays and Sundays from December to February.

明治・大正・昭和初期のガラス製品を展示しているということですが、年始に行ったので閉館してました。しかし外観がすごく素敵です。白壁に格子柵そしてドアだけ茶色とツートンカラーのレトロな感じの建物で、建築ファンには見ていただきたいです。
Gasshozukuri Minkaen Outdoor Museum

Leisure / Hobbies

Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 2499

Gasshozukuri Minkaen Outdoor Museum is an open-air museum that was created by relocating traditional Gasshozukuri-style farmhouses that were no longer in use as residences from Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture. There are a total of 26 Gasshozukuri farmhouses, of which nine have been designated by Gifu Prefecture as Important Cultural Properties; the Museum brings alive the lifestyle of days gone by. Within the Museum grounds there is a restaurant selling hand-made Soba noodles, and a shop selling confectionery, making the Museum a great place for a relaxing stroll. Between mid-April and the end of October the Museum holds a range of special experiential activities, where visitors can try their hand at making Warazori (traditional straw sandals), making Soba noodles, etc. (please note that advance booking is required for these activities).
Gero Onsen-jinja Shrine

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Gero-shi Yunoshima

There's a high probability you'll pass this shrine during your visit to Gero Onsen as it's in the center of town. It's on the first floor of Gero Onsen Ryokan Kaikan on the corner of Shirasagi Bridge, just across from Gero Ohashi Bridge. It was built to give thanks for Gero's history and hot springs, and to pray for its continued development. An annual festival held on October 8th also offers thanks for the hot springs and features tourists parading through the town wearing traditional samurai garb. The shrine is a branch of Yudonosan Honmiya Shrine, honoring one of the three Dewasanzan peaks in Yamagata Prefecture.
Kuzu Hachimangu Shrine

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Gero-shi Hagiwaracho Joro 2345-1

"A Shinto shrine said to have originated 1,600 years ago to pray for victory in battle. It has a long and venerable history as the second most prominent shrine in the Hida district, housing the protective deity of southern Hida. The main shrine was rebuilt in 1412 on the orders of the district's lord. The shrine has important carvings of a carp and a bush warbler, as well as two giant cedars on the outskirts of the precincts that are about 1,500 years old. Known as the ""Married Cedars,"" their trunks are 12.5 meters around. They've been designated as a National Natural Monument."
Former Higashi Shina Family Residence

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 2499 Outdoor Museum Gassho-zukuri Minkaen

"This is a building within the outdoor museum ""Gasshozukuri Minkaen"" that preserves and displays the culture of the ancient Japanese people who lived close to nature. The building made in the kiritsuma gassho-style (wooden gabled large thatched roof) using kayabuki (natural thatched straw), which was transferred to the site in 1969, is open to the public. Originally, this building was built along with the house of the family of Kiyoshiro Nakano, the village headmen for generations, after it was burnt down in a fire around 1858. It exhibits private goods and daily necessities that were actually used during the time of the former Kazura village. Four main buildings including the residence house and five attached buildings have been designated as important cultural properties of Gifu Prefecture."
Former Nakano Yoshimori Family Residence

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 2499 Outdoor Museum Gassho-zukuri Minkaen

These are the remains of the Yoshimori Nakano family residence, who were the village headmen for generations in the Kazura district. Kazura district, located at the border between Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture, was called one of the most secluded villages, standing alone deep in the mountains. Since the Edo period (1603-1868), the village maintained a self-sufficient lifestyle based on mutual assistance, but it is said to have vanished around 40 years ago. Gassho (large thatched roof) villages lost in time are displayed on photo panels inside the building that you can freely roam around and see. It is said that the wooden gabled gassho-style building was built around 1858, then burned down and was rebuilt in 1909.
Former Nakano Chojiro Family Residence

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 2499 Outdoor Museum Gassho-zukuri Minkaen

"The remains of this family residence are located a five-minute walk from the Shirakawago general information center ""Deai no Yakata."" Though the exact date of construction is unknown, the building is said to have been bought in the early Meiji period (around 1878) when they established a branch family from the Yoshimori Nakano family's ancestors, who were the Kazura district headmen for generations. Scenes from daily live are reproduced in the public hall, and it is possible to experience how the Japanese used to live close to nature. The four main houses in the ""Gasshozukuri Minkaen"" including the main residence, as well as the five additional buildings, are Gifu Prefecture-designated important cultural properties."
Myozenji Temple Kuri Museum

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 679

This temple of the Shinshu Otani Sect is located in Shirakawa-go village, registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. It is a five-story gassho (large thatched roof) building that stands out in the gassho village of Ogimachi. Everything from the main hall to the warehouse and the bell tower is built with a gassho style. The warehouse that was built at the end of the Edo period around 1817 serves as three guestrooms, parts of the south and front side of the corridor facing the garden. Materials such as local folk tools are on display and are open to the public as the Myozenji Museum.
Gero Furusato Rekishikan

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Gero-shi Mori 1808-37

A museum in Jomon Park, about a 15-minute drive from Gero Station, with restored pit dwellings from the Jomon and Yayoi periods. It provides a fine overview of the history of Gero City, with exhibits and a public gallery on the first floor, and a permanent display ranging from ancient times to the present day. They offer experiential programs that deepen learning and enhance the displays. These include making magatama, a common ancient accessory, items with animal motifs, Jomon period instruments, and authentic Jomon pottery. Visitors apply the patterns without the aid of modern tools.

Gifu Hida

Travel / Tourism History / Culture / Tour

Reference/Local/Exhibition/Literature Museum Shrine Castle / Ruins of Castle Historical Monument Temple Church Ruin / Grave / Ancient Tomb Memorial Hall Cultural Property Event Hall / Public Hall Art Museum Museum / Science Museum Other Historic Site/Building

Gifu Areas

Tucked away in the very center of Japan, Gifu prefecture houses mountains, old towns, and one of Japan’s greatest hot springs, Gero Onsen. A tour of the prefecture’s traditional architecture will take you from the mountain-enveloped wooden streets of Takayama to the mountain village of Shirakawago, where visitors can explore 250-year-old thatched roofed houses known as gassho-zukuri.