A Traditional Japanese Tea House at the Foot of Kinkazan, Gifu

Gifu Park, situated at the base of Kinkazan, is definitely a must-visit for every traveler in Gifu City. It appears to me as a one-stop place for learning Japanese culture and history as well as for resting and relaxation. From the rope way station in Gifu Park, you take the gondola to the top of the mountain to visit Gifu Castle. At the entrance of the park, you can also find Gifu City Museum where the histories of the town and castle are thoroughly explained and old artifacts such as armors, swords and ancient potteries are exhibited. See this post for a detailed review of my trip to Gifu Park and its surrounding area.

Another place of interest in Gifu Park is a traditional Japanese tea house where you can enjoy a set of freshly made green tea and wagashi (a kind of Japanese sweets served with green tea) for an affordable price of only Y400.

Entrance to the tea house

View from the window

Upon paying at the entrance, you will be directed to a tea room on the right side of the counter. The tea room is not that "traditional" as I expected. The floor is not made of tatami so you don't have to remove your shoes or sit on the floor. There are wooden benches lining the walls, the top of which are made of tatami. There are low wooden tables in front of the benches where the tea and wagashi are served. I suppose this is the room where "visitors" who just want to relax and have tea are directed. However, I think there are other rooms in the tea house where more traditional tea ceremonies are being conducted. On my way out, I bumped into old women in their kimonos, geared for the real thing, entering the tea house.

After a few minutes of waiting, an old lady brought out my tea and wagashi. Even though this is not a full blown tea ceremony, the lady still observed the etiquette of serving tea. She gently placed the plate of wagashi on the table, then she turned the tea cup twice counterclockwise so that the front of the cup would face when I receive it.

The interior

Green tea and wagashi set

It is ideal to visit the tea house after a tiring hike to Gifu Castle on top of the mountain. You can just sit and drink tea while looking at the view of the garden from the large windows.

Exploring Gifu Castle

Gifu Castle was built on top of Mt. Kinka in Gifu City, Gifu. Oda Nobunaga, one of the main unifiers of Japan, lived in this castle for 9 years before moving to Azuchi Castle in present day Shiga. The castle originally belonged to Saito Dosan, Nobunaga's father, after he seiged the castle. In 1567, Nobunaga killed Tatsuoki, Dosan's grandson, and claimed the castle for himself. He changed the name from Inabayama Castle to Gifu Castle.

Gifu Castle in all its glory

From the rope way station at the foot of Mt. Kinka in Gifu Park, you can take the gondola up to the top of the mountain. The ride takes only 3 minutes to the top. From the mountain station, you have to hike for 10 more minutes to reach the castle, beautifully perched on the top of the mountain. The climb is worth the hardship and the wait because of the majestic views of Gifu that you can see from the top. When I arrived on top of the castle, there were a lot of old people gathering around. It seemed to me that they didn't take the rope way but actually hiked to the mountain.

path going to the castle

view from the castle

Beside the castle is the small Gifu Castle Museum holding some important samurai swords and armors, ancient texts and other historical resources of the Sengoku Period were held. There are not so  much to see but it is still worth looking at. If you get hungry on top of the mountain, you can go to the restaurant and get a good seat behind its large glass windows. I wanted to have a coffee and rest for a while while looking at the view but I decided not too. If you are after the views, there are other spots where you can have a good panoramic view of the landscape without paying for a meal or a cup of coffee. There is also an observation deck with some benches where you can feel the strong wind pushing you back.  There are also several resting areas where you can sit, grab a bite of your packed bento or onigiri or get a drink from a vending machine resting in a corner.

Gifu Castle Museum

restaurant on top of the mountain

Just beside the rope way station is the squirrel village. It is a small place where you can feed squirrels and carry them on your hands. The entrance fee is only Y200. Just go in and play with the squirrels. I didn't spend so much time here because I was not a big fan of squirrels. I just want to experience feeding them. It was so funny because the very moment I stepped inside, a squirrel jump onto my head and crawled down my shoulders, maybe thinking what a big log I was! The squirrels were nice and not wild. If you reach out your hand to their direction, they would run to your palm and eat the food. It could get a little scary though when a couple of squirrels would run to your hand for food. It appeared like they were going to fight each other but luckily they didn't. 

Squirrel Village

Feed the squirrels

At the foot of the mountain is Gifu Park where you can find Gifu City Museum of History and the ruins of Oda Nobunaga's residence. The area of Nobunaga's residence was also under construction so I only got to see some parts of it. The museum entrance fee only costs Y350. The museum features the history of Gifu from the prehistoric age up to the present. It has on display several ancient relics such as pottery from the Jomon period.

Entrace to the ruins of Oda Nobunaga's residence

What was left of Oda Nobunaga's former residence

At the foot of the mountain, you can also find a traditional Japanese tea house where you can have green tea and wagashi for Y400. Read my experience here: A Traditional Japanese Tea House at the Foot of Kinakazan, Gifu