Gifu Castle

Gifu Castle - Gifu

May 10, 2019

Located in the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture, Gifu Castle (岐阜城) is a mountaintop castle that stands as one of the symbols of the city.

Gifu Castle (岐阜城)

Gifu Castle History

Built by the Nikaido Clan during the Kamakura Period sometime between 1201 to 1204, Gifu Castle was once called Inabayama Castle by its original owners. It was a formidable castle which overlooks the surrounding countryside of then Mino Province. On September 13, 1567, the castle and its defenders under the leadership of Saito Tatsuoki of the Saito Clan came under siege by the numerically superior army of Oda Nobunaga.

Gifu Castle - Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Castle as displayed at Mt. Kinka Ropeway Station

Make sure to get some brochures at Kinkazan Ropeway Station

We rode the ropeway up Mt. Kinka

Despite its strategical and strong position on top of Mt. Inaba, the castle still fell to the hands of Oda Nobunaga due to his cunning strategy of sending in sixteen men to sneak into the castle to open its gates. They got in via the very steep but unguarded northern face of the mountain. This strategy ended the siege in just two weeks.

Entering the first torii from the mountaintop station going to the castle

Finally! We could see the Gifu Castle keep after several minutes of walking.

Oda Nobunaga claimed the castle and renamed it "Gifu Castle". The mountain was also renamed Mt. Kinka. The castle was then had it renovated into a more grandiose structure. Nobunaga was very satisfied with how impressive his castle has become that he even invited Fr. Luis Frois, a renowned Jesuit missionary, to visit the castle. The priest had nothing but praises for the beauty of the castle.

Gifu Castle as seen from the clearing on Mt. Kinka

Close up of the castle keep

The castle was then made into the primary base of operations of the Oda Clan. Sadly, the castle was destroyed in 1600 during the fierce battle between the Western and Eastern forces which became the prelude to the well-known Battle of Sekigahara. What remained of the castle structure was brought south to Kano Castle to help fortify its position leaving Mt. Kinka free of any castle structures for more than three centuries.

Time to enter the castle

A model castle was reconstructed in 1910 during the Meiji Period but burnt down during the firebombing raid of 1943. The castle that stands today was built in 1956 during the Showa Period. It received its first major renovation in 1887 and celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2001.

Check out the rates

The current castle stands from an elevation of 323 meters on the top of Mt. Kinka. It is 17.7 meters tall and is a 4-story structure. Gifu Castle houses many feudal-era weapons, armors, and tools. From the top floor of the tower, visitors can see a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

The view of Gifu City from the viewing area of Gifu Castle

The view of the hills around the city

You can use these coin-operated binoculars to check out the places around the castle

Gifu Castle Museum

Inside the Gifu Castle Museum

Within the vicinity of the castle grounds is the Gifu Castle Museum which is a reconstruction of the weapon storage and food storage house. It was built in April 1975. Today, it houses displays of Gifu-related documents which gives visitors a glimpse of Japan's warring period.

Here are some of the displays inside Gifu Castle:

Edo-era tools

Edo-era weapons

Nohime's kimono

Some pieces of the original roof and wall of the castle

Edo-era helmets

Some samurai armor

Some shurikens

Some katanas and bows

The life of Oda Nobunaga

Kinkazan Ropeway Fare:

For those planning to visit Gifu Castle, you can follow one of the four trails up Mt. Kinka. If you're not the "hiker" type of person, then ride the Kinkazan Ropeway up to the mountain. It's 620 yen (adults) and 280 yen (children) for a one-way trip to the summit station of the ropeway. From the station, visitors should still trek several meters to reach the castle.

Gifu Castle Admission Fee:

To enter the castle keep and museum, visitors need to pay 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for children.

Gifu Castle on top of Mt. Kinka

My family and I got to visit Gifu Castle during our 18th day in Japan. It was our first destination for the day. What made our trip there memorable was the fact that our Japanese godfather accompanied and toured us there. We also enjoyed the breathtaking view of the city from the top of the castle. Aside from that I also enjoyed checking out the historical artifacts displayed in the keep.

Neil Nobunaga

Team Nicerio visits Gifu Castle

Gifu Castle Opening Hours:

Gifu Castle is open from 9:30AM - 5:30PM every day.

Why visit Gifu Castle?

Overall, Gifu Castle would surely be enjoyed by history buffs and also outdoor enthusiasts. For visitors who want to experience how the warriors of the past lived their lives during Japan's feudal era, it's highly suggested that they hike up to the castle.

Getting to Gifu Castle:

From JR Gifu station, ride a bus and board down at Gifu Koen Mae bus stop. The ride takes about 15 minutes. From there walk to Mt. Kinka Ropeway Sanroku Station and ride the ropeway up to the Sancho Station then follow the path to Gifu Castle. It would take about 10-15 minutes to walk from Sancho Station to the keep.

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