This walk begins at t the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association Office (Kinenkan) and takes you past some significant temples in the northern historic area of the town, and then across the beautiful Yoshida River to the southern area of the historic centre to visit museums, art galleries and temples. An optional visit to Gujo Hachiman Castle is also part of this walk. Allow about 2 hours - longer if you plan to visit Gujo Hachiman Castle or visit some of the other attractions along the described route Shinno Yakshi View of Anyo Ji Temple walking up to Hachiman Castle Shrine and Gochikuin Temple Leaving the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association Office (Kinenkan) and head toward Shin Bashi bridge. Cross over the bridge, which spans the Yoshida River, and walk towards the T-intersection C in the road. Standing at t he T-intersection, B on the right, you can see “Kahi” a poem about a fire that destroyed the northern section of the town in 1919. The location marks where the fire stopped and poem is carved into rock and bathed in water as a reminder of the terrible event. Also at t he T-intersection, on the left, is a small cave shrine (Shinno Yakshi) dating from 1781. This shrine is for good health and long life and is the home of a small festival on the 3rd Saturday in July each year. From the cave shrine head left (west) up a gentle northwest curving slope past some small shops for about 30 metres. At the first intersection &  (on the right) there is a sign for Gujo Hachiman Castle. Follow the sign and turn right (north) into Yanagi Machi or Willow Street. As you walk north along Yanagi Machi you will pass a typical historic house and garden on the right hand side (this is a private home). Continue along Yanagi Machi, until you see Jokamachi Plaza on your D . This wide open space is left, also the downtown bus terminal. Optional Visit to Gujo Hachiman Castle - Allow approximately 1½ hours to visit the castle. (If you prefer to skip the visit to the castle continue the walking tour at O below.) Note: Markers   ✔ through   ✔ correspond to markers on the tourist map included as the last page in this PDF. Many of the places described in this guide can be “visited” on the Virtual Tour page of the Gujo Hachiman website at http://gujohachiman.com/kanko Traveller Tip! Buy an advance admission ticket to most of the art galleries, museums, temples and shrines described on this walk, including Gujo Hachiman Castle. Ask for a “midokoro tegata” or “visitor passport” which gives the holder unlimited 2- day access to many of the town's tourist attractions for one low fixed price (1,500 JPY**) — about half of what individual admissions would cost. The ““midokoro tegata” can be purchased at the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association, Gujo Hachiman City Museum (Ḥakurankan) office or at any tourist attraction where it is accepted. **price as of November 2008
Stairs to Gochikuin Temple in spring and wife Chiyo Waterway below Anyo Ji along Yanagi Machi Small water shrine below Anyo Ji on Yanagi Machi Yanagi Machi Daijo Ji temple With Jokamachi Plaza on your left, turn right at the first intersection and head up the hill. As you climb the hill you will have a nice view of Anyo Ji temple. Interesting Fact! Anyo Ji was completely rebuilt after the fire of 1919, Anyo Jī and is the largest wooden structure in Gifu Prefecture. Advisory! At about the middle of the hill, B Anyo Ji Temple is on your left, and on your right is Zenko Ji temple. Ahead of you, the stairs in the curve of the road go up to Kishitsurugi Shrine and Gochikuin Temple. The bell at Gochikuin Temple is rung daily at 6:00 am, noon, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and of course to welcome the new year. If you plan to visit Gujo Hachiman Castle plan ahead! The road up to Gujo Hachiman Castle is narrow and steep. A walking path offers an alternative to walking the switch back road - but this path can be slippery after a rain. Please use caution when walking along the road or the walking paths. From this vantage point, you have an excellent view of both the western part of town and Anyo Ji Temple. You can also see Tosen Ji Temple on the opposite hill. Traveler Tip! This is an excellent photography vantage point. Continue along the road to the top of the hill. At the top of the hill is a parking lot. The area around the parking lot        is popular in the spring for groups and families to come and see the cherry blossoms (hanami). There is also an interesting statue of a man, a woman and a horse. The man is Yama no Uchi Kazutoya - the lord of Tosa from 1601 to 1605, and the woman is his wife Chiyo who was born in Gujo Hachiman. Chiyo is famous for secretly sáving money and then making a timely gift of a horse to her husband - famously symbolizing teamwork and cooperation between spouses. At the V-intersection in the road,       keep right, and passing behind the statue, continue up the hill to Gujo Hachiman Castle ￼ . From the castle you can enjoy a beautiful view of the town, and the surrounding valley. Traveler Tip! For a better view of the town and surrounding valley visit the castle and climb the stairs to the top floor! Retrace your steps back down the hill to the intersection just below Anyo Ji Temple and just above Jokamachi Plaza   D ● Continue north along Yanagi Machi. Beside the street, and beneath a large cherry tree you will notice a small waterway along the wall below the temple grounds. Yanagi Machi is one of the best preserved historic streets in the town, and features many homes built in the Kyoto Style. Traveler Tip! It’s safe to drink from any of the fountains that you will pass as you walk along this historic street. As you walk along Yanagi Machi (heading north), look for the red fire buckets hanging from the low eaves, and for the metal bells or "hansho." The hansho are rung to alert others in the street to a fire, and there is a strict code of how and when the bell is rung. Please do not try to ring the bell! On either side of the street are narrow water channels typical of many streets in the town. Originally built to help fight fires, these water channels are used in daily life to rinse vegetables, and wash small household articles. Continue towards the end of the street, for about 300 metres. At about 20 metres before the end of the street at point W , turn left (east) down a narrow street toward the Hakurankan or Gujo Hachiman City Museum.
the top of Shokunin Machi Machi looking north towards Chokyo Ji View of the Yoshida River looking west towards the Nagara River from Miyagase bridge View of Yanaka komici from Shin Machi looking towards Yudokan Paper Craft Art Gallery At the first intersection you will find Gujo Hachiman City Museum (Hakurankan) U  on the left hand side and a small modern temple built of concrete ( Join Ji ) on the right hand side. The City Museum features a good gift shop and offers daily Gujo Odori lessons (4 times daily at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00) included in the admission fee. The explanation of how to dance is in Japanese only but it’s easy to follow along. Traveler Tip: Plan your walk to allow the opportunity to take in a Gujo Odori lesson or plan to return later. Continue the tour by crossing the street and proceeding to the L-shaped turn. At the L-shaped turn in the street behind the large wooden gate , is Chokyo Ji Temple. You might also like to venture over the bridge to Daijo Ji which also has a very peaceful and quiet garden and is often visited by locals looking for a quite place to meditate and contemplate life. Interesting fact! Daijo Ji was the only temple in the northern district to survive the fire of 1919. Continuing from the gate of Chokyo Ji temple 🎁 , (heading south) continue straight down Shokunin Machi , which literally means "craftsman's street." Notice that the fire buckets are a different colour - each street is different! About half the way down the street (heading south) on the left hand side is Ren Sho Ji temple W Walking south along Shokunin Machi you can see many old-style traditional shops and businesses including a traditional cinnamon candy store and several kimono stores. Continue walking south along Shokunin Machi until you almost reach the end. As you walk south, the street name changes from Shokunin Machi to Kajia Machi and then to Hon Machi. About 20 metres before the end of the street, on your right, from Hon Machi 👍🏻 is a small street paved with smooth stones. There is a gate with hanging lanterns at the entrance to the street. Proceed down that small narrow street toward the Kodara River. Just before a red bridge is Sogi Sui W shrine. Sogi Sui water spring is the site where fifteenth century poet Sogi and local feudal lord To Tsuneyori exchanged farewell poems when the poet returned to Kyoto after visiting Gujo Hachiman. Interesting Fact! The water spring and small shrine are recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Environment for both ecological and historical significance. Retrace your steps back to Hon Machi 🙂 and continue your tour walking towards the end of Hon Machi which ends in a small square surrounded by various shops and restaurants - and notably a local sake brewer. Option! Walk up from the end of Hon Machi towards map point    keeping a sharp eye out for a small shrine on your right hand side. The shrine is at the top of a large rock and can only be reached by climbing a narrow sharp set of stairs. Use extreme caution to climb and descend the stairs if you would like to visit the shrine. Continue your tour walking towards Miyagase Bridge /   and cross over the bridge. Traveler Tip! Early morning photography from Miyagase Bridge will often reward you with pictures of the morning mist in the mountains above the river! Interesting Fact! Approximately 80% of all food replicas in Japan are produced in Gujo Hachiman!
Machi and Hashimoto cho in front of Koike Taxi View of Hashimoto cho street towards Ganren Ji from in front of Koike Taxi at Shin Machi Spring cherry blossoms along the small stream looking down towards Sakyo Machi and the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association building Spring cherry blossoms along the small stream looking up towards Jion Ji temple from the direction of Sakyo Machi and the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association building komichi Shortly after crossing over the bridge and walking south is the Sample Kobo food replica shop. This is just one of many workshops that produce the ubiquitous plastic food replicas that you see in the windows of restaurants across Japan. Traveler Tip! Allow time to stop at the Sample Kobo and take a short lesson in making your own food sample! (allow about 1 to 1½ hours) At the corner O  head_east towards the Omodakaya Folk Craft Museum and Yanaka Komichi 😊 . Close to Yanaka Komichi you will also find the Saito Tea Ceremony Museum, and the Yudokan Paper Craft Art Gallery. Each of these is worth a visit. Continue your walking tour by retracing your steps back to the Sample Kobo Food Replica store and workshop intersection O . This intersection is also home to the Koike Taxi stand — you will see a big "Taxi!" sign. At the intersection turn right and head south along Hashimoto cho street to the end Y  beside Ganren Ji temple. In the Edo period, Hashimoto cho was known as a wealthy merchant street. Many large merchant houses and stores remain today. At Ganren Ji turn left and head west, over a small stream, to intersection 😊 indicated on the map. As you head towards point 😊 you will pass Watanabe Indigo Dyer on your left. Traveler Tip! Indigo dyed goods produced by Watanabe are available for sale both at his studio and at t the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association Office (Kinenkan) Gift Shop. Prices in both locations are identical but selection may vary. Many designs are sold out later in the year. At intersection 😊 turn right and head south towards Jion Ji Zen Temple 6. Home to a stunning garden tucked in behind the temple, the garden is definitely worth a visit - especially in the autumn! Traveler Tip! Allow time to sit and mediate in the beautiful Japanese garden. Listen carefully for the sound of the “sui kin kutsu” or water harp located underground near the exit from the garden viewing platform. (Listen near the door for a clear sharp “ping” sound!) Note: Photography is not permitted in Jion Ji temple. Leaving Jion Ji Zen temple 😊 head east towards point V which is an intersection beside the small stream. Turn right and walk north beside the small stream towards point cherry trees and the blossoms are breathtaking. Continue to the large intersection V▲ at Sakyo Machi street. From here you can see the meiji style Gujo Hachiman Tourist Association office Kinenkan building where you began this walking tour. Continue along Sakyo Machi past the Gujo Hachiman Tourist Association Office & Gift Shop building, and past the parking lot to point W - the entrance to a small and unique street Igawa Komichi. This narrow street, flanked by a fast running and deep canal, is only 1 meter wide and impassable except on foot. Traveler Tip! You can buy a bag of fish food pellets for ¥100 from a wooden self-service station at the entrance to the street to feed the large and tame koi fish. Walking along this small street you will see some excellent examples of unique “washing platforms” built over the canal and still used today to wash vegetables and household items in the canal. Continue along Igawa komichi until the end  . From here you can retrace your steps back to the Gujo Hachiman Tourism Association Office (Kinenkan) and Gift Shop or continue exploring the rest of the town on your own! of several well str cets in Gujo preser ved historic Shokunin Machi is one Lailo , the town's oraitsmen Hachiman. In feudal times this is where lived and operatedは対し校长間見屋につぼんの変予・ふるさとの単Chckyo li長敬寺外因寺古い町並みVensho重生寺Gujo I Spring Cherry blossom viewing Autumn colour viewing Temples and Shrines ll    Izo Shrines Figh 🎁 Tourist Information 👍🏻 Public Toilet Self-guided Walking Tour guides Use this map together with the available for free download at http://gujohachiman.com/kanko Oick the Sightseeing button and follow the links to download the self-guided walking tours. www.gujohachiman.com/kanko Gujo Hachiman Tourism Associaion (0575)067-0002 lgawa Komichi - is a small narrow approx. 1 metre wide) street/flanked by bicycles to pass, a stroll along this litte a small water canal. Too narrow for even street takes you back centuries. o Hachiman Tourism Association Office旧庁舎配念館
上八幅観光協会Watanabe Indigo ● Saito Tea Ceremony Museuやなか水のこみちCraft Art Gallery ● Yudokan Paperl art galleries located both beside and around this street. own beauty to be enjoyed. To listen to the sound of this river is to hear the heart of Gujo The water-in the Yoshida River sparkles and lord To Tsuneyori poet Sogi and local feudal site where fifteenth century Sogi Sui water spring is the洞泉寺
Tosen l宗語水exchanged farewell poems Kyoto aiter visiting Gujo when the poet returned to So Gi Sui Water Shr minal馬頭観音Bato Kannon折只偏夫の歌碑所橋Shin BashiいがねDe The Gujo Odori dance festival is not only one of the three most important traditional dance the most accessible. Designated a festivals in Japan, it is also one of government, Gujo Odari should not be missed! Asset by the Japanese Significant Intangible Cultural Folk D 20081101-001  ﻿ 2008Gujo HachimanTourism As sociali Saisho , voshi Shrne日吉神社P   Public Parking ili Hachiman. Enma lizo尾崎延命地蔵@  993 9 Guio Hachiman Post Office Store & Workshop Miyagase Bridge 宮が瀬瀬Sample Kobo Food Replica & International ATM橋本町 Hashimoto cho stro Omodakaya Folk Craft Nuseum d lokamachi Plaza (Bus Terr神神農薬師
Shirmo Yakushi Cave Shrine raditional Hand-made Ohmamiya Cinnamon Candy
for over 120 Years http://ohmamiya.com/ TEL 0575-65-4131 dances in the sunlight, and each season has its Hachiman beat.古い町並みHachiman Hakurankan their businesses.様差