Gifu, a mountainous region west of Tokyo, isn’t high up on many travellers lists. If it is, it’s usually the historic village of Shirakawagō and the preserved merchant houses of Hida-Takayama that are the biggest draws. I’ve been to both these places and they are well worth a visit, but if you want to get even further off the beaten track, Gifu has some real hidden gems that give you an insight into rural life in Japan. Richard and I did this trip with my parents who were keen to get away from the Tokyo crowds and see some of the Japanese countryside.
It’s honestly quite hard to find much information about this area of Japan online, even my Japanese friends asked me why I was going to Gifu and none of them had heard of Iwamura-chō, the sleepy town we based ourselves in for our 6-day trip. Although I was confident that some of the places I planned to visit would be really interesting, I had no idea what the drive would be like or what it would be like staying in tiny Iwamura-chō. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by both - the drive was incredibly scenic and Iwamura-chō was a charming town, the perfect place to return to after a day of exploring.
This area of Gifu is ideal for a road trip as not everywhere is easily accessible by public transport. The windy mountain roads also make for some very scenic driving. For detailed information on renting a car in Japan, check out this Japan Guide article and this Matcha guide.
This itinerary can be done in any order, just be sure to check opening days/times.
We stayed at Guesthouse Yanagiya. We loved the traditional feel of the guesthouse and the owners were very accommodating. We stayed in a private Japanese style room but there are also dorm rooms with bunk beds.
Hot tip - We had some trouble with the GPS in our rental car but Google Maps worked fine. Luckily we had rented a Wi-Fi router when we landed in Japan so we didn't have to deal with any roaming fees. I highly recommend getting pocket Wi-Fi when you arrive in Japan, it has been a lifesaver in terms of finding our way around. Usually, you either return the router at the airport before leaving or post it back in a prepaid envelope. So convenient!
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the itinerary
day 1 - tokyo to iwamura via iyashino sato
Instead of driving straight to Iwamura-chō, we decided to break up the journey with a visit to Iyashino Sato, a reconstructed Japanese village close to Mount Fuji. If you're as lucky as we were with the weather, you'll be able to enjoy views of Japan's highest mountain most of the way there.
Iyashino Sato is made up of around 20 traditional thatched-roof houses, most of which have been converted into shops, cafes and galleries. Most shops focus on a specific craft, such as pottery, incense or calligraphy. There are English maps available at the entrance.
As well as the cafes, there are a few food stalls before you enter the village and a coffee stand which also sells taiyaki, a fish-shaped pastry usually filled with azuki beans or custard. My sweet tooth couldn't let me walk away from one of these!
Tokyo to Iyashino Sato: 1.5 - 2 hours
Iyashino Sato entrance fee: 350 yen
Don't Miss!
Miharashi-ya (見晴らし屋, number 11 on the map) - Spectacular views of Mount Fuji from the second floor.
Now it's on to Iwamura-chō. If you take the route that goes through Iida and you're in need of a break, I highly recommend stopping at the Ogurogawa services, about 1 hour 45 into the drive. Not only do these small services have all the amenities you would expect - toilets, vending machines, a small shop and cafe, there's also a giant frame you can pose in outside. Only in Japan!
Iyashino Sato to Iwamura-chō: 3 - 4 hours
No doubt you'll be ready for some dinner by the time you get to Iwamura-chō. There are two great options close to Guesthouse Yanagiya (so great that we went to both of them twice): Torihyō (鳥兵) and Izakaya Tono (居酒屋 殿). They both have English menus, delicious authentic food and friendly staff.
Torihyō closing days: Every Thursday and the third Wednesday of the month.
Izakaya Tono closing days: Every Wednesday.
day 2 - Naegi castle ruins and nakatsugawa-juku
You could drive most of the way to Naegi castle ruins but you would be missing out on a lovely walk from Nakatsugawa. We parked near Nakatsugawa train station and picked up a map from the tourist information office which is right next to the station. There are also markers along the route to the ruins so you should be fine even without a map. The starting point is the underpass which goes under the train tracks.
The walk takes you across the Kiso river, past some lovely traditional houses and ends with a fairly steep climb through some woods.
Naegi castle ruins are known as the "Machu Picchu of the East." While I've yet to go to Machu Picchu, I'm pretty sure Naegi castle ruins aren't quite as impressive! That's not to say that I didn't love it here, the views were amazing, it wasn't at all crowded and it was the perfect picnic spot.
Iwamura-chō to Nakatsugawa: 30 minutes
Nakatsugawa station to Naegi castle ruins: approx 1 hour
After enjoying the mostly downhill walk back to Nakatsugawa, you could spend some time exploring Nakatsugawa-juku. Nakatsugawa-juku, the historic centre of Nakatsugawa, was the 45th station on the Nakasendō (more on this later) and is a nice place for an afternoon stroll. The streets are lined with historic buildings, there is a museum about the history of the area and there are shops selling traditional Japanese sweets.
Don't Miss!
Hazama sake brewery - You can’t visit the brewery itself but you can have a free tasting and purchase sake here. We tried five different kinds of sake and although the staff didn’t speak English, they do have a leaflet explaining the sake making process. Look out for the sake barrels in front of the shop in Nakatsugawa-juku.
Note: Japan has zero tolerance drink driving laws!
day 3 - Mino
Mino is most famous for washi (decorative paper) and udatsu roofed houses. Udatsu were originally designed as a form of fire prevention but were also a way for merchants to show off their wealth.
Admire the udatsu roofed houses in Mino's historic district, which is also home to several sights worth exploring.
- Mino Washi Lantern Art Gallery - Every October there is a lantern festival which sees the streets of the historic district lined with washi paper lanterns in all kinds of shapes and designs. The art gallery displays some of the past winning lanterns and is laid out in a way that effectively recreates the atmosphere of the festival. I was amazed by the intricacy of some of the lanterns and we practically had the whole gallery to ourselves.
- Former Imai Family Residence - Around the corner from the lantern art gallery is a beautiful house that was once home to a merchant family who dealt in washi paper. The tatami rooms show you what the kitchen and office would have been like and there are displays of ikebana and calligraphy. The highlight for me was the traditional garden, complete with a suikinkutsu. A suikinkutsu is a garden ornament which makes a musical sound when you pour water over stones. I had never seen one before and loved trying it out.
- Ogura Park - A short walk from the historic district, this park is great for a picnic or for admiring the cherry blossom in spring.
Combined ticket for the Mino Washi Lantern Art Gallery and Former Imai Family Residence: 400 yen
Worth a Detour
Oyada-jinja - Tucked away in a forest, this atmospheric shrine is a 15 minute drive from the historic district. We went in the late afternoon and the only sound that broke the silence was some chirping frogs. Most of the trees surrounding the shrine are Japanese maple, making this a popular spot in the autumn.
We ate lunch in Sansui Honten (山水本店) which is right in the middle of the historic district. The food was hearty home-cooking and was very reasonably priced. They only have a Japanese menu but you can't go wrong with ordering a katsu curry (カツカレー) or tempura teishoku (天ぷら定食 - tempura set meal with rice and miso soup).
Iwamura-chō to Mino: approx 1 hour
Kankofureaihiroba parking lot (観光ふれあい広場駐車場): 100 yen for the whole day!
Don't Miss!
Happa Stand - I loved how this teashop perfectly blends the traditional with the modern. The menu includes sets of matcha paired with seasonal wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) and tea-flavoured tofu chocolates. The matcha and hōjicha lattes can be made with soy milk. They also have tea leaves and beautiful pottery for sale.
day 4 - tsukechi gorge and sunset over iwamura
Tuskechi gorge (付知峡) is probably the least well-known place in this itinerary. With waterfalls, suspension bridges and picnic areas, it makes for a relaxing day out. It's a relatively small area so you won't be walking for miles, meaning you can rest your legs a bit before the long Nakasendō walk on day 5.
Iwamura-chō to Tsukechi gorge: approx 1 hour
Once back in Iwamura-chō, you could use this evening to stroll up to Iwamura castle gate (岩村城 表御門) to watch the sunset. It's an easy walk up the main street around the corner from Yanagiya Guesthouse and you could even walk all the way up to the castle ruins (although lots of people seem to get lost doing this). You can look down on the whole of Iwamura-chō from the open space next to the castle gate and the sunset certainly didn't disappoint.
day 5 - walking the nakasendō - nakatsugawa-juku, ochiai-juku and magome-juku
The Nakasendō was a route used during the Edo period (1603 - 1868) to connect Edo, which is now Tokyo, and Kyoto. As it took days to travel between the two cities, post towns known as juku sprang up along the route offering weary travellers a much-needed place to rest. You can still walk some of the route and it's a wonderful way to see a different side of Japan.
Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku is probably the most popular section of the Nakasendō and Magome-juku was definitely the biggest and busiest post town we went to. Seeing as we were staying so close to Nakatsugawa, we decided to start in Nakatsugawa-juku, walk to Ochiai-juku and finish in Magome-juku.
The walk was full of surprises - we were invited to join a hanami party by a group of elderly Japanese men (who were already quite merry by late morning), we were shown how ninjas protected their masters in the Ochiai-juku Honjin and we discovered a small forest shrine that Totoro would have felt right at home in.
There is a sign for the start of the walk to Ochiai-juku on the main road that leads from Nakatsugawa station to Nakatsugawa-juku. From here you follow the Nakasendō trail markers. The markers are mostly in Japanese, so it's definitely worth trying to remember the following kanji 中山道. Another thing to look out for is the kind of speckled paving that marks most of this part of the Nakasendō.
Almost all of the walk is paved but there are some fairly steep hills, especially between Nakatsugawa-juku and Ochiai-juku.
The Ochiai-juku Honjin, a house that noble men and women would stay in as they travelled the Nakasendō, is well worth a look. It is run by volunteers who will happily show you around, although English is limited. Note: it is only open on Sundays.
Follow the speckled road!
Ochiai-juku Honjin
Magome-juku has plenty of souvenir shops and cafes. We took a well-deserved rest in Hillbilly Coffee Company, a hipster cafe where coffee making is taken very seriously. As we walked further up the hill, we came across an amazing shop selling gorgeous wooden products. Some of the products were made out of a special kind of Japanese cypress which only grows in that part of the country and smells incredible.
Beautiful wooden souvenirs in Magome-juku
After exploring Magome-juku, you can take the bus all the way back to Nakatsugawa, which is also a good place to grab some dinner. We ate at Toriaezu Gohei (とりあえず吾平), opposite Nakatsugawa train station. It's a standard chain izakaya but did the job in restoring some energy after a long day of walking.
Iwamura-chō to Nakatsugawa: 30 minutes
Nakatsugawa-juku to Ochiai-juku: approx 4km/2.5 miles
Ochiai-juku to Magome-juku: approx 5.5km/3.4 miles
day 6 - back to tokyo
Depending on your plans, you could drive straight back to Tokyo, or you could break up the journey with a stop in Kōfu or nearby Shōsenkyō gorge.
Central Kōfu doesn't have that many points of interest besides the castle ruins but Takeda-jinja is a lovely place to stop, with cherry blossom trees in the spring and cute souvenir shops across the street.
If you're up for some more walking, head to Shōsenkyō (昇仙峡), which is known as one of Japan's most beautiful gorges. The hiking route follows the Arakawa river and ends at Sengataki waterfall.
Driving time from Iwamura-chō to Takeda-jinja in Kōfu: approx 2 hours 45 minutes
Driving time from Takeda-jinja to Tokyo: approx 2 hours
Driving time from Iwamura-chō to Shōsenkyō gorge: approx 3 hours
Driving time from Shōsenkyō gorge to Tokyo: 2 - 3 hours
There you have it! A 6-day road trip itinerary in beautiful Gifu. If you want to experience both rural and city life in Japan, this trip would work great before or after a stay in Tokyo.
Have you ever been to Gifu? If not, would you like to explore this part of Japan?
Japan Travel Tips
Getting around
If you're planning to travel around Japan, I highly recommend buying a JR Pass. The train pass can be used on all JR trains (including most bullet trains), JR buses and the JR ferry to Miyajima. Both nationwide and regional passes are available.
I use Jorudan to check train times and plan train journeys. The website is easy to use and shows you lots of options including the fastest and cheapest routes.
If you're going to be in Japan for more than a few days, I recommend getting a rechargeable IC card such as Suica or Pasmo. Due to the global semiconductor shortage, the only IC cards currently available for tourists are Pasmo Passport and Welcome Suica. The cards can be used on public transport, at vending machines and in some shops and restaurants.
Weather and natural disasters
I use the Japan Meteorological Agency's website to check weather forecasts and to get information and warnings about extreme weather and earthquakes.
Learning the language
Duolingo is a useful app for learning some basic words and phrases. If you're planning a longer trip to Japan, there are more than 500 Japanese teachers offering affordable online lessons on italki.
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