
	Liuzhou CHINA
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	Gifu JAPAN
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	Kharkiv UKRAINE
	Harare ZIMBABWE

Welcome!

Or, as they say in Japan, , which is pronounced ‘youkoso.’

Name of City: (Gifu-shi, shi meaning ‘city’), (Gifu-ken, ken meaning ‘prefecture’). Gifu used to be known as ‘Inokuchi,’ which means ‘mouth of the river.’ In the sixteenth century, Nobunga Oda, a samurai who unified most of Japan, changed its name to ‘Gifu’ – ‘Gi’ was taken from a legendary Chinese mountain that was significant in the unification of China, and ‘fu’ means ‘base of the mountain. In modern Japanese, ‘Gifu’ means ‘father –in-law.’

Symbol of City:

Symbol of Prefecture:

Country: Japan
Ambassador to the United States: Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki
Embassy Contact:
Address:
2520 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: (202) 238-6700
Fax: (202) 328-2187
Email: Japan Exchange and Teaching Program:
Japan Information & Culture Center
Capital of Country: Tokyo

National Holidays: Japan has many official holidays.
January 1 – New Year
Second Monday of January – Coming of Age
February 11 – National Foundation Day
Around March 20 – Spring Equinox Day
April 29 – Showa Day

Golden Week

May 3 – Constitution Day
May 4 – Greenery Day
May 5 – Children’s Day
Third Monday of July – Ocean Day
Third Monday of September – Respect for the Aged Day
Around September 23 – Autumn Equinox Day
Second Monday of October – Health and Sports Day
November 3 – Culture Day
November 23 – Labor Thanksgiving Day
December 23 – Emperor’s Birthday

Flag of Country:

Currency: Yen International Notation

Population: 413,070 as of July 1, 2008

Latitude & Longitude: 35°391’ N & 136°722’ E

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Location, Geography, and Climate: Gifu City is located in southern Gifu prefecture, which lies in the Chūbu region of Japan. Nagara River, one of the three most beautiful rivers in Japan, crosses Gifu Prefecture from northwest to southeast. Mountains and forests cover the northern portion of Gifu prefecture. Gifu City lies on the northern edge of Nōbi Plain. Although the city is Gifu prefecture’s main urban district, its geography is very diverse, because most of its area was acquired by mergers. Thus, Gifu City ranges from a dense urban core to persimmon orchards and strawberry fields on the outer rims. Gifu city has Pacific and Inland weather features. It’s hot in summer (Highest temperature in 2007 was 39.8° C (103.6° F)) and cold in winter. Average temperature in Gifu is about 15° C (59 F).

Local Time: Gifu is 13 hours ahead of Cincinnati; Daylight Savings Time does not apply in Gifu.

The Cincinnati-Gifu Connection: Cincinnati’s Sister City relationship with Gifu was signed into existence on May 11, 1988; the agreement is pictured below. (The date on the agreement is a typo and should read MCMLXXXVIII).

City Agreement Japan and Cincinnati

History: Habitation in Gifu dates back to pre-history. Eventually, the village of Inokuchi was established. During the Sengoku period, which lasted from the 15th to the 17th century, the village of Inokuchi became the city of Gifu, center of the unification efforts in Japan. In 1542, Saitō Dōsan took control of the Mino Province – which in those days included Inokuchi – and began his quest to unify Japan. However, his son-in-law, the samurai and warlord Oda Nobunaga, overthrew Dōsan and made Inokuchi his headquarters in his efforts to unify Japan. He renamed the city Gifu – ‘Gi’ was taken from a legendary Chinese mountain that was significant in the unification of China, and ‘fu’ means ‘base of the mountain. In modern Japanese, ‘Gifu’ means ‘father –in-law.’ During Nobunaga’s rule, Gifu expanded in importance, territory, and economy, since it was the center of Nobunaga’s growing empire. A common saying during the Sengoku period was, “Control Gifu and you control Japan.”
Gifu continued to grow even after Nobunaga’s death. It was officially established as a city on July 1, 1889; two years later, an earthquake decimated approximately 37% of the city. By 1911, however, Gifu had largely recovered from the damage. In 1940, Gifu absorbed a nearby industrial town, which helped boost its industrial strength, but tragedy struck again during World War II. Gifu was an important industrial center during World War II and was the base of fire balloon manufacturing; thus, it was the target of many bombings. The Air Raid of Jul 9, 1945 resulted in 1,383 casualties and 20,426 buildings damaged. Every July 9, Gifu commemorates the bombing by ringing the Peace Bell of each temple. Since World War II, Gifu has continued to increase in importance, and it was designated a ‘core city’ by the Japanese government in 1996.

Government:

The official government site for Gifu is:

English or Japanese

Gifu’s government is currently led by Mayor Shigemitsu Hosoe, who has been Mayor since 2002 when the previous mayor, Isamu Asano, resigned. He was recently re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006. The Mayor appoints two vice-mayors and a city treasurer. The City Council has 44 elected members, each of whom represents one of the 44 city districts.

Economy: Gifu’s economy has gone through several iterations. Its industries through the years have been concentrated on fashion, manufacturing, construction, and more. Its first major industry was textiles, and it was a leader in the Japanese fashion industry. In recent years, however, the city has sought to diversify its economy. Metalworking, mold and die, and other manufacturing companies have helped to strengthen the economy. Traditional industries also have a strong hold in Gifu, including the making of traditional fans, lanterns, and umbrellas. Public and private efforts in recent years have helped to revitalize it even more.

Education: Gifu has 18 high schools, five technical institutions, and seven universities. Gifu University is the largest, and it includes a hospital on its grounds.

Religion: Shinto and Buddhism are the two major religions in Japan, although religion does not generally play a large part in everyday life.

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Culture: Gifu is currently promoting the ‘Slow Life City Initiative,’ which encourages residents to seek an alternative to the fast-paced modern lifestyle. It emphasizes locally grown food, traditional culture and arts, and increased citizen participation. The component parts of this initiative are the ‘slow food,’ ‘slow industry,’ ‘slow education,’ and ‘slow tourism’ initiatives.

Recreation: The Gifu Memorial Center is the main athletic facility in Gifu and his home to their pro soccer team, FC Gifu.

Tourism Tips: The ‘slow tourism’ aspect of the ‘Slow Life City Initiative’ emphasizes cormorant fishing, the most important tourist attraction of Gifu. Gifu also has several city-supported museums, parks, and festivals. The major festivals are the Dōsan Festival in April, the Gifu Festival – also in April, and the Gifu Nobunaga Festival in October. There are also several cultural festivals and fireworks displays. Gifu Park is also a major tourist hotspot.

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Places to Learn Japanese in Cincinnati: A variety of schools in Cincinnati offer language lesions, including International Language Plus, Berlitz Language Center, Conversa Language Center, Cincilingua International Language Center , and Language for Life.

Recent Headlines: see the Gifu Shimbun