Gifu, Gifu

Gifu
岐阜市

Gifu's location in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Gifu Prefecture
Physical characteristics
Area	202.89 km² (78.3 sq mi)
Population (as of May 1, 2007)
Total	423,241
Density	2,086/km² (5,402.7/sq mi)
Location	35°25′N, 136°46′E
Symbols
Tree	Japanese Chinquapin
Flower	Scarlet Sage
This official symbol pays homage to Gifu's original name, Inokuchi (井口).[1]
Gifu Government Office
Mayor	Shigemitsu Hosoe
Address	〒500-8701 18 Imazawa-chō, Gifu-shi, Gifu-ken
Phone number	058-265-4141
Official website: City of Gifu

Gifu (岐阜市, Gifu-shi^?) is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. Before becoming a city, it was part of the former Atsumi District, but it has since been designated a core city by the national government. Most of the area's history is a result of its location in the middle of Japan. During the Sengoku period, Gifu thrived as a castle town, first under the protection of Saitō Dōsan, then under the protection of Oda Nobunaga, and it was often a staging point for battles in the effort to unify Japan. During the Edo period, Gifu and its neighboring post town, Kanō-juku, thrived as major rest areas along the Nakasendō. Eventually, the city's economy became supported by the fashion industry, but now the city is looking towards the manufacturing industry to boost its economy. Much of Gifu's land area has been gained as the result of many mergers, but most of that came through mergers with the neighboring towns of Kanō (in 1940) and Yanaizu (in 2006). As a result, Gifu's geography is very diverse, ranging from the built-up city center to persimmon orchards and rice paddies in the outskirts.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Sengoku Period 1.2 Edo and Meiji Periods 1.3 World War II 1.4 Modern History 2 Lifestyle 3 Industry 4 Tourism 4.1 Cormorant Fishing 4.2 Museums 4.3 Festivals and Events 4.4 Athletics 4.5 Other Attractions 5 Historical Areas 5.1 Castles 5.2 Major Shrines 5.3 Major Temples 6 Education 7 Transportation 8 City Information 8.1 Sister/Friendship Cities 8.2 Citizens' Charter 9 External links 10 References

History

Two archaeological sites in the city of Gifu have shown that the area around modern-day Gifu has had residents since pre-history^[2] because of Gifu's location in the fertile Nōbi Plain. The Ryomonji and Kotozuka sites have produced large burial mounds that are representative of the late-Yayoi period,^[2] which is when rice cultivation began in Japan. As civilization in Japan grew, permanent settlements began to appear and, eventually, Inokuchi Village was established, which would eventually become the modern city of Gifu.

Sengoku Period

"Control Gifu and you control Japan"^[3] was a common phrase during the Sengoku period (15th to 17th century) because Gifu's location in the center of Japan made it a desirable location for anyone looking to unify Japan. For over 200 hundred years, the Mino Province (including the present-day city of Gifu) was under control of the Toki Clan, a powerful regional clan.^[4] However, during the Sengoku period, Saitō Dōsan, a Toki vassal, rebelled against his clan and took control of Mino Province in 1542 and built Inabayama Castle atop Mount Inaba,^[3] from which he began his quest to unify Japan.

During Dōsan's reign, his daughter Nohime married Oda Nobunaga, an aspiring warlord from the neighboring Owari province.^[3] As Nobunaga had a vision to unite all of Japan, much like Dōsan did, Nobunaga rebelled and overthrew Dōsan in the mid-sixteenth century, much like Dōsan did to his retainer.^[5][6] It was during Nobunaga's reign of power that the area finally received its modern name. After consulting with a Buddhist priest,^[3] Nobunaga renamed the village and the surrounding Mino Province to Gifu in 1567.^[7] He took the first character (岐 gi) from Qishan (岐山), the legendary mountain from which most of ancient China was unified. The second character (阜 fu) means "base of the mountain" and comes from Qufu (曲阜), the birthplace of Confucious.^[8] Though he was not originally from the area, he chose to use Dōsan's castle and mountain as his base of operations, which he renamed Gifu Castle and Mount Kinka, respectively. Gifu's economy grew immensely during this period. One reason for the growth was its location at the center of Nobunaga's expanding empire. Additionally, Nobunaga established Rakuichi Rakuza (楽市楽座), a free market for his citizens to use, in direct response to the commercial monopoly of the area's temples and shrines.^[2] The liveliness of the town caused Louis Frois, a Portuguese Jesuit Missionary and guest of Nobunaga, to comment that Gifu reminded him of a "bustling Babylon."^[9]

Edo and Meiji Periods

Following the death of Nobunaga, Gifu's growth continued on through the Edo period with the establishment of the Nakasendō as one of Tokugawa's five routes. Though the route did not pass directly through Gifu, the post towns of Kanō-juku and Gōdo-juku were nearby. (These two former towns now make up parts of the modern city of Gifu.) With Gifu being easily accessible to much of Japan, it continued to prosper.

Around the middle of the Meiji period, Gifu was officially established as a city on July 1, 1889, with an original population of 25,750 people and an area of 10km².^[10] On October 28, 1891, just over two years after the city's founding, there was the Mino-Owari Earthquake, which is estimated to have had an 8 magnitude on the Richter Scale.^[11] About 37% of the city was lost to fire, resulting in 1,505 casualties (245 dead, 1,260 injured) and 6,336 buildings affected (3,993 of which were completely destroyed).^[1] As a result, Gifu erected the first Earthquake Memorial Hall in all of Japan, which holds memorial services for the victims on the 28th of every month.^[9] Gifu, though, was able to recover from the earthquake and, by 1911, municipal street car service began throughout the city.^[10]

World War II

In 1940, Gifu merged with the former post town of Kanō, greatly increasing its land area. Kanō had many traditional industries, which helped increase Gifu's overall industrial strength. With the neighboring city of Kakamigahara serving as an aeronautics center for Japan, Gifu was a large industrial center during World War II, including a downtown manufacturing sector.^[12] As a result, Gifu was the target of heavy firebombing by the United States Air Force, culminating in the Gifu Air Raid of July 9, 1945, which resulted in 1,383 casualties (863 dead, 520 injured) and 20,426 buildings being affected.^[10] Gifu commemorates these events each year on July 9, with the ringing of the Peace Bell at each temple within the city. Its sister cities also take part in these events. During World War II, Gifu also served as the base for the creation of Japan's fire balloons. These paper-based, bomb-carrying hot air ballons were used in a failed attempt to cause havoc on American soil. Local high school girls made these fire balloons out of Mino washi (a thin, yet strong, type of Japanese paper) and konnyaku paste.^[13] Originally, rubberized silk was used to help these bombs use the newly discovered jet stream to traverse the Pacific Ocean, but Gifu's paper was found to be both stronger, lighter, and more air tight.^[14]

Modern History

In the years following the wars, tragedy struck Gifu once again. On September 12, 1976, Typhoon 17 (Super Typhoon Fran) struck the city, killing five people and affecting over 40,000 families.^[10] Gifu recovered, however, and established itself as a center of fashion in Japan, rivalling Tokyo and Osaka in its level of influence.^[15] The city's growth reached such a point that it was designated a "core city" by the national government in 1996.^[16] As its fashion industry has declined, however, the city has been looking towards manufacturing to revive the economy. A recent construction boom, much of which has occurred around JR Gifu Station, has shown that the city is on the rebound. Both public construction projects (station area renovations and elevated walkways) and private ones are revitalizing the city of Gifu.^[16] Gifu City Tower 43 is an example of cooperation between the public and private sectors, with part of the building belonging to the city, while the remainder is privately owned.^[17] The city of Gifu is currently promoting the Slow Life City Initiative, which is similar to, but more comprehensive than, the slow food initiative. In addition to slow food, Gifu also hopes to include slow industry (traditional crafts), slow education (studying quality of life), and slow tourism (represented by cormorant fishing).^[16] Gifu expanded its size in 2006 by merging with the neighboring town of Yanaizu during the great Heisei merger, leading to its present size.^[1]

Lifestyle

The downtown area of the city is generally considered a bedroom community of nearby Nagoya. The ease of commute between the two cities, as well as the plentiful apartment construction underway, has contributed to this distinction. Just north of Gifu Station is Gifu City Tower 43, a 43-story high-rise building that is to open in autumn 2007 as the tallest building in Gifu Prefecture.^[16] The upper 30 floors are divided into two- and three-bedroom apartments, including those for senior citizens.^[18] The lower floors will be used as offices or shops for targeted services such as medical care. Additionally, there is public space at the top of the building, which will allow residents a second 360-degree view of Gifu,^[16] with the first one being the view from Gifu Castle.

Additional apartment complexes are also being built throughout the city to serve other residents. Much of this additional building is being completed due to Toyota relocating its main offices from Tokyo to Nagoya. The employees in those offices will be moving to many nearby areas, including Gifu, around Nagoya. Gifu City Hall is promoting a Slow Life Gifu City campaign,^[19] designed to encourage residents to lead a slower lifestyles. This campaign intends to give an alternative to the fast-paced life of the modern world. Major parts of this campaign include more dependence on locally grown food, traditional culture and arts, and activities to increase citizens’ participation in their community.^[19]

Industry

Gifu's first major industry was textiles. For a long period of time it rivaled Tokyo and Osaka to lead the Japanese fashion industry. The area just north of JR Gifu Station is open to many smaller clothing stores catering to many types of consumers. Furthermore, the city's main downtown covered shopping arcade, Yanagase, encloses many of clothing, shoes, and accessories shops that carry both domestic and overseas goods. Over the past decade, though, Gifu's fashion industry went into a steep decline, the city has began looking for other industries to prop up the local economy.

One such industry that Gifu has been able to depend on is the manufacturing industry. Because the city is located close to Aichi Prefecture and its many major automotive and heavy industry companies, such as Toyota, it has become a prosperous area for many metalworking, mold and die, and parts subcontractors. Its ease of access to neighboring areas using public transportation and highways has allowed companies to set up many factories and facilities in the area. In addition to the modern industries upon which Gifu's economy rests, the city also has a wide array of traditional industries, which include traditional Japanese fans, Gifu paper, and ayu-based food goods. Many shops, both small and large, can be found throughout the city which produce these goods. The most well-known local industries, though, are traditional lanterns and umbrellas. There are approximately 15 businesses that make lanterns in the city, the most famous of which is the Ozeki Lantern, Co. In the Kanō area, visitors have the opportunity to take a course and make their own paper umbrellas.

Tourism

Cormorant Fishing

Main article: Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River

Cormorant fishing is the representative tourist attraction of Gifu. Though cormorant fishing occurs in many places in Japan, it is only on the Nagara River that cormorant fishing has an uninterrupted over 1,300 year history.^[20] This is also the largest display of cormorant fishing in all of Japan, with six fishing masters going down the river at the same time, using their birds to catch ayu (sweetfish). The cormorant fishing season lasts from May 11 to October 15 every year and occurs each night, except during high water levels and the harvest moon. Matsuo Bashō, a renowned haiku poet, spent many months in Gifu, creating haiku about many things, including cormorant fishing. Famed comedian Charlie Chaplin also came to view cormorant fishing on the Nagara River twice and came away very moved.^[20]

Museums

Gifu has a wide range of museums available to its citizens and visitors. To further promote the use of these facilities, the city instituted a policy in 2006 that allows elementary and junior high school students to enter many of the museums for free. The largest of the city-supported museums is the Gifu City Museum of History. It is located in Gifu Park and its permanent exhibit primarily focuses on Gifu's past and contains many hands-on exhibits.^[21] It often hosts special exhibits, though, providing a broader field of information to its visitors. Also located in Gifu Park is the Eizō & Tōichi Katō Memorial Art Museum, which is a semi-autonomous branch of the history museum. This art museum is dedicated to the works of the brothers Eizō and Tōichi Katō, famous artists born in Gifu Prefecture. These brothers' paintings had many subjects, but the Nagara River and cormorant fishing feature prominently in a number of pieces. The Yanaizu Folklore Museum in the Yanaizu-chō area of the city is the other branch of the Museum of History.^[21]

There are two other museums in Gifu Park, too. The Nawa Insect Museum, next to the history museum, and the Gifu Castle Archive Museum, next to Gifu Castle atop Mount Kinka. The Nawa Insect Museum was founded by Yasushi Nawa, Japan's "Insect Man," in 1919,^[22] and provides a closeup look at insects and their world.

Other museums include the Gifu City Science Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, both located near the prefectural office. In addition to the Science Museum's general science exhibits, it also includes a planetarium and a rooftop observatory, allowing visitors to learn about the day and night sky. The prefectural Museum of Fine Arts was opened in 1982 as a museum dedicated to art and artists related to Gifu Prefecture, though it also contains pieces from the world over.^[23]

Festivals and Events

A wide array of festivals and events take place in Gifu throughout the year. Some have long histories, honoring Gifu's past and Japan's traditions, while others are more modern, representing the views of its citizens. The first major festivals of the year are the Dosan Festival and the Gifu Festival, both of which occur on the first Saturday and following Sunday of April.^[24] The Dosan Festival is a memorial to Saito Dosan, so much of the festivities take place near Jozai-ji, where his remains are buried. The Gifu Festival is a Shinto festival that begins at Inaba Shrine and winds its way through other shrines within the city. Both festivals include street vendors, flea markets, and floats being paraded through the city. The Gifu Nobunaga Festival, which takes place on the first Saturday and following Sunday of October, also pays homage to a former lord of Gifu. This festival centers on the downtown area and includes a procession of horses and warriors down the city's main streets.^[1] The city also has festivals representing its cultural heritage. Twice each year, there is a Tejikara Fire Festival. It first occurs on the second Saturday of April at Tejikarao Shrine and it again occurs on the second Sunday of August at Nagara River Park.^[24] These festivals are composed of half-naked men carrying shrines and other devices that shoot off a large of sparks, in addition to ringing bells. Near the end of August, the city also sponsors Takigi Noh, a traditional form of Japanese theater that takes place on the banks of the Nagara River and is lit only by the surrounding bonfires and the fires of cormorant boats.^[24]

Also twice a year, Gifu plays hosts to two large fireworks festivals. Large numbers of visitors gather on the banks of the Nagara River between Nagara and Kinka Bridge to see these festivals, the size and scope of which are rivalled by few places throughout Japan.^[22] The first festival, the Chunichi Shimbun Nagara River All-Japan Fireworks Festival, occurs on the last Saturday of July. The second festival, the Nagara River National Fireworks Display, occurs on the first Saturday of August.^[24] Approximately 30,000 fireworks are set off at each festival, with crowds of 400,000 and 120,000 visitors, respectively.

As a major civic event, the downtown area serves as the location for Flag Art Displays a few times throughout the year. The flags displayed measure approximately 3m tall by 1.8m wide.^[25] Each set of displays revolves around a different theme (eg. the beauty of Gifu or AIDS Awareness) or are created by specific group of persons (eg. local school students or local artists).

Athletics

The main sporting facility in the city is the Gifu Memorial Center, whose complex includes facilities for athletic and other events. Its athletic facilities include a track and field complex, a baseball stadium, plazas for tennis and swimming, martial arts and traditional arts facilities, etc. There are also two large multi-purpose domes: the Deai Dome (seats 5,000) and the Fureai Dome (seats 700).^[26] All of the facilities are equipped for night events. The soccer field at the Memorial Center serves as the home to FC Gifu, the city's representative in the J-League. Next to Memorial Center is the Nagaragawa Sports Plaza, a sports science and training center. The facility is able to provide accommodations for up to 300 people and gives them access to state-of-the-art equipment for improving their athletic ability.^[26] Just south of these sports facilities, the Naoko Takahashi Road runs along the northern bank of the Nagara River. This pedestrian pathway is named after the Gifu-born marathoner Naoko Takahashi, who won the gold medal in the event at the Athens Olympic Games. This road primarily stretches from Nagara Bridge to Chusetsu Bridge, providing a convenient course for events such as the Terry Fox Run and the Nagaragawa International Inline Skating Competition.

Other Attractions

Gifu Park is one of the major tourist attractions of the city because it contains many of the museums and is near so many other sightseeing spots. However, it also serves as a gathering place because of its large shaded areas that include ponds, waterfalls and other peaceful escapes. Cherry trees and wisteria vines in the spring attract many visitors, too. Next to Gifu Park is Mount Kinka, which serves as one of the main symbols of Gifu. It rises 329 m into the sky along the banks of the Nagara River and serves as the home of Gifu Castle and many hiking trails. Other places to rest include Bairin Park, a local park that is filled with over fifty types of plum trees^[9] which bloom in an array of colors, from white to dark pink, each Spring. For those who would like to rest indoors, Nagaragawa Onsen is a popular choice. This is a collection of onsen and ryokan located along the Nagara River in central Gifu.^[27] Its many springs have a high iron content, which is beneficial for a variety of minerals for ailments.^[20] Also, its close location to the Nagaragawa Convention Center and various high class hotels make it a popular area for guests. For shopping, Yanagase is able to fill most people's needs. This covered shopping arcade is the primary shopping district of Gifu and, in addition to its many smaller retail shops and restaurants, Yanagase is also home to Takashimaya, Muji, and two movie theaters. It was made famous throughout the country when Kenichi Mikawa's hit, "Yanagase Blues," was released in the 1960s.

Historical Areas

Castles

Gifu's most famous castle is Gifu Castle, located on Mount Kinka. First built by the Nikaidō family during the Kamakura period, the castle has gone through many forms, with its current version being rebuilt in 1956.^[22] One of its first major residents was Saitō Dōsan, who lived in the castle when it was still being called Inabayama Castle. The next resident of the castle, Oda Nobunaga, changed the castle's name at the same time that he changed the name of the surrounding town. From the top of the castle, visitors have a 360-degree view, effectively giving them a view to all the borders of the city. Inside the castle are many artifacts from its past.

Though the two other castles in the city, Kanō Castle and Kawate Castle, only have ruins marking their former presence, they both have had important roles in the city's past. Kanō Castle was built shortly after the Battle of Sekigahara when Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the Toyotomi family to build it upon the ruins of a former medieval castle. Okudaira Nobumasa was the first person to live in the castle and he was followed by his descendants until the Meiji period. The castle's citadel ruins are designated a National Historic Site.^[9] Kawate Castle was used by Toki while he was guarding Owari, Ise and Mino provinces as the Chief Retainer of the Shogunate during the Muromachi period. It was also often used as a meeting place for the cultural and social elite from Kyōto.^[9] There is a stone monument near Seibi High School marking the castle's location.

Major Shrines

The most famous shrines in the city include a family of shrines: Inaba Shrine, Kogane Shrine, and Kashimori Shrine. They are considered a family of shrines because the Inishiki Irihiko-no-mikoto god at Inaba Shrine is married to the Nunoshi Hime-mikoto goddess at Kogane Shrine and, together, they are the parents of the Ichihaya-no-mikoto God at Kashimori Shrine. Inaba Shrine was originally located on the northern side of Mount Kinka, but it was moved to its present location by Saitō Dōsan during his reign over Gifu. Kogane Shrine is located in Kogane Park, behind the Gifu City Culture Center, and it is said that, behind Kashimori Shrine, you can see the footprints of Tenba, a mythical horse.^[9]

Kanō Tenmangu Shrine, located in the former Kanō-juku, was built in concurrence with Kanō Castle shortly after the Battle of Sekigahara. Originally built to serve as a place of worship for the castle's residents, it eventually became a place of prayer for many people within the growing town.^[9] Tejikarao Shrine, located in the eastern portion of the city, is famous as the home of the Tejikara Fire Festival that is held in April.^[24]

Major Temples

Because of the important of both Saitō Dōsan and Oda Nobunaga, many of the temples here hold strong connections to them. Jōzai-ji, for instance, was built by Saitō Myōchin, an ancestor of Dōsan, under the protection of Toki Shigeyori. Dōsan took advantage of this temple's support as he began his domination of Mino Province. His presence was so strong here that his death was mourned at the temple for three generations and his remains are now interred here. Zuiryō-ji was also built by Myōchin and is currently undergoing restoration and contains the tombs of Shigeyori, Myōchin, and Gokei Kokushi. Sōfuku-ji contains the "Blood Ceiling;" it was stained with the blood of the vassals of Oda Nobunaga's grandson, Oda Hidenobu. They committed seppuku during the Battle of Sekigahara after their leader's defeat. This temple contains the mausoleums of both Nobunaga and his son, Oda Nobutada.^[9]

Shōhō-ji is home to the Gifu Great Buddha, which is also referred to as the "Blessed Buddha." Built during the Edo period, this is the first and largest dry-lacquered Buddha in Japan and remains one of the three largest Great Buddha Images of Japan.^[22] The Buddha and its 13.7-meter bamboo frame took 38 years to build.^[22] In the aromatic garden, you can enjoy tea and traditional foods.^[28] Jōdo-ji holds the remains of Hanako, who was the only Japanese person to model for Rodin and traveled extensively throughout Europe during her career. A statue of Hanako was erected at the temple in 2004. Hanako spent most of her later years in Gifu's Nishizono-chō, just east of Yanagase.^[9]

Education

Education in Gifu starts at a young age, with 48 nursery schools and 43 kindergartens available for children. The children will then matriculate into one of the city's 49 elementary schools and 27 junior high schools. After graduating from junior high school, students have the option of attending one of Gifu's 18 high schools.^[29] For those who choose to go on to post-secondary education inside the city, there are five technical institutions from which to choose, in addition to five colleges and universities:

• Gifu City Women's College (岐阜市立女子短期大学 Gifu Shiritsu Joshi Tanki Daigaku)

Founded in 1946 as traditional college, it later became a city-supported, public junior college.

• Gifu Pharmaceutical University (岐阜薬科大学 Gifu Yakka Daigaku)

Founded in 1932 as the Gifu City Pharmaceutical College and remains a public university today.^[10]

• Gifu Shōtoku Gakuen University (岐阜聖徳学園大学 Gifu Shōtoku Gakuen Daigaku)

A private university located in the area of the former town of Yanaizu.

• Gifu University (岐阜大学 Gifu Daigaku)

Gifu's national university.

• Gifu Women's University (岐阜女子大学 Gifu Joshi Daigaku)

Founded in 1968, it is a four-year, private, women's university.

Transportation

Gifu's central location and its past connection with the Nakasendō mean that it is one of the central transportation hubs in Japan. In addition to being in the center of many rail and bus lines, the city also has seven national highways running through its borders. Those highways are Route 21, 22, 156, 157, 248, 256, and 303.

Two rail companies have major train stations downtown: JR Tōkai (Central Japan Railway Company) and Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad). The JR Tōkaidō Main Line runs through and the Takayama Line begins at JR Gifu Station. Other JR Stations in the city include Nishi Gifu Station and Nagamori Station. The JR Tōkaidō Shinkansen, however, does not run through Gifu Station. Its nearest stations are Nagoya Station and Gifu Hashima Station. The Meitetsu lines include the Nagoya Line, the Kakamigahara Line, and the Takehana Line, all of which originate at Meitetsu Gifu Station. Other Meitetsu Stations in the city include Chajo Station, Kano Station, Tagami Station, Hosobata Station, Kiridoshi Station, Tejikara Station, and Yanaizu Station. Until April 1, 2005, Meitetsu also operated a street car line that ran through Gifu.

Municipal bus service first began in Gifu in 1949.^[10] Nowadays, Gifu Bus Co., Ltd. provides service within the city, as well as connections to other cities. Its highway buses connect the city with Gujō, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Shinjuku in Tokyo. Gifu Bus also connects Nagoya with Gujō, Seki, Mino and Shirakawagō. In addition to inter-city bus routes, there are local routes that go throughout the city and neighboring areas to serve the citizens and local business. All bus lines go through JR Gifu Station, which adds to the convenience of the system. Another option for travel around Gifu is bicycles. The city has instituted a bike rental program to increase tourism within the city and the cost to rent a bicycle for one day is only 100 yen.^[30] Bicycles can be rented at JR Gifu Station (second floor), Gifu City Hall (South Branch), Gifu Park (Museum of History), and the Cormorant Fishing Boat Viewing Office.^[31]

City Information

Sister/Friendship Cities

• Florence, Tuscany, Italy (est. February 8, 1978, Sister City)
• Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China (est. February 21, 1979, Friendship City)
• Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil (est. February 22, 1982, Sister City)
• Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America (est. May 11, 1988, Sister City)
• Meidling District, Vienna, Austria (est. March 22, 1994, Sister City)
• Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada (est. May 28, 2007, Sister City)

Citizens' Charter

The Citizens' Charter is as follows:

We, the citizens of Gifu City, respect the traditional culture created in the majestic natural beauty of Mount Kinka and the Nagara River. Here, we declare to strengthen common bonds and endeavor to create a city of freedom and peace with characteristics as follows:

• A comfortable city where people have respect for nature and mankind;
• A warm-hearted city where youth have dreams and the aged peacefully enjoy their golden years;
• A vigorous city where people enjoy both work and play;
• A cooperative city where people are true to their word and considerate to others;
• A prosperous city where people mingle freely, improve cultivation and develop individuality.^[1]

External links

• Gifu City Official Website (Japanese)
• Gifu City Official Website (English)
• Gifu City Event Calendar (English)
• Gifu Bus Co., Ltd. (Japanese)
• {{{2}}} travel guide from Wikitravel

References

Gifu Prefecture
Cities
Ena | Gero | Gifu (capital) | Gujō | Hashima | Hida | Kakamigahara | Kaizu | Kani | Mino | Minokamo | Mizuho | Mizunami | Motosu | Nakatsugawa | Ōgaki | Seki | Tajimi | Takayama | Toki | Yamagata
Districts
Anpachi | Fuwa | Hashima | Ibi | Kamo | Kani | Motosu | Ōno | Yōrō
See also: Towns and villages by district edit