07/06/2025
日本文化の集積地 郡上八幡、美濃、関をローカル鉄道でめぐる旅
Gujo Hachiman (郡上八幡)is a beautiful castle-town with a mountain castle renowned for being the most beautiful in all in Japan. However Gujo Hachiman is better known for hosting Gujo Odori, a summer Bon dance festival designated a Significant Intangible Cultural Folk Asset by Japanese government and also registered UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site.
Mino(美濃) is another must-visit castle-town. It achieved UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status for its 1,300-years-old tradition of producing washi , traditional Japanese paper made by hand. Time your visit to coincide with the Mino Washi “Akari” Festival in mid-October, and the sight of the streets in old town centre lit gorgeous handcrafted washi lanterns with astound you.
Seki (関)is a craftsman town, with a 790-year history of producing some of the best steel and most sought-after samurai swords. It’s home to the Seki Kaji Denshokan, a samurai sword museum that’s a short walk from the town’s Nagaragawa Railway station. Seki is now best known for producing high-quality knives prized by some of the most famous chefs around world.
Also, From May to October, cormorant fishing takes place on the Nagara River, preserving the traditional fishing method with a history spanning over 1000 years.
Local cuisine ( 味覚):Cold clean waterfrom the Nagara River imparts a fresh sparkling taste, making crispy grilled Unagi(eel) s year-round favorite Seki, Mino and Gujo Hachiman. (うなぎ)It’s deliciously different from the steamed Tokyo version. Each restaurant typically has its own recipe for the sauce used to finish the dish and make the crop, clean flavour “pop”!
Gujo Hachiman, Mino and Seki, these three towns are connected by Nagaragawa railway(長良川鉄道), its starts at JR Mino-Ōta(美濃太田)station, which connects to the JR Takayama line, and wind sits way leisurely northward along the beautiful Nagara River through the heart of Japan’s central Gifu prefecture.
Nagaragawa railway can be paid for with a credit card tap-on, so there is no need to purchase a ticket before boarding. The railway is also friendly to non-Japanese travelers.(切符不要のカード決済)
Learn more about Gujo Hachiman (English)
http://www.gujohachiman.com/kanko/index_e.php
Learn more about Mino
https://minokanko.com
Learn more about Seki
https://sekikanko.jp
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