Gifu Castle, perched atop the sheer 329-metre summit of Mt Kinka, presides over approximately 1,600 cherry trees covering the mountain's lower slopes and the parkland of Gifu Park below. The castle is accessible by ropeway, and the ascent through blooming cherry trees offers progressively higher vantage points over the city and the Nagara River. At night, powerful floodlights illuminate both the white castle keep and the cherry canopy below, creating one of the Chubu region's most dramatic lit-up hanami scenes. The nearby Nagara River is celebrated for its cormorant fishing (ukai) tradition, which begins in May and extends the tourist season seamlessly from hanami.
- Type
- Venue
- Category
- Cherry Blossom
- Season
- Spring
- Month
- Late March–Early April
- Region
- Chubu
- Prefecture
- Gifu
- City
- Gifu
Highlights
- ◆Mountain-top castle dramatically floodlit above 1,600 cherry trees
- ◆Ropeway ascent through layers of blooming cherry slopes
- ◆Panoramic views of the Nagara River and Nobi Plain
- ◆Seamless transition to the ukai cormorant fishing season in May
- ◆Gifu Park festival grounds with traditional food and crafts