Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is on the island of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Gifu-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 246; "Chūbu" at p. 126. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Nussbaum, "Gifu" at p. 246.

Gifu is part of the Tōkai region. Shirakawa in Gifu is a UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

History
In the Meiji period, Gifu Prefecture was created by merging several old provinces, including Hida Province and Mino Province.Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780.

"Gifu" may have been named by Oda Nobunaga.

Geography
Gifu shares borders with seven other prefectures: Aichi Prefecture, Fukui Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture.

Landmarks
 Kinkazan and Gifu Castle
 Takayama
 Joining hands-structure of Shirakawa-go
 Gero hot springs

Special products
 Ayu-cuisine
 Eel
 Hida beef

 Cities 
 Ena, Gifu
 Gero, Gifu 
 Gifu, Gifu, capital
 Gujō, Gifu
 Hashima, Gifu
 Hida, Gifu
 Kakamigahara, Gifu
 Kani, Gifu
 Kaizu, Gifu
 Mino, Gifu
 Minokama, Gifu
 Mizuho, Gifu
 Mizunami, Gifu
 Motosu, Gifu
 Nakatsugawa, Gifu
 Ōgaki, Gifu
 Seki, Gifu
 Tajimi, Gifu
 Takayama, Gifu
 Toki, Gifu
 Yamagata, Gifu

National parks
National parks cover about 18% of the total land area of the prefecture.Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"; retrieved 2012-3-13.

Otaki Limestone Cave
Otaki Limestone cave is one of the biggest limestone caves in Japan. There is no daylight inside, so you may feel that the air in there is very still. If you go there in summer, you may feel cool, and if you go there in winter, you may feel much warmer than outside of it. The walls are made of limestone and look milky white.

Shrines and temples
Hidaichinomiya-Minashi jinja is the main Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) in the prefecture."Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 2 ; retrieved 2012-3-13.

Related pages
 Provinces of Japan
 Prefectures of Japan
 List of regions of Japan
 List of islands of Japan
 F.C. Gifu

References

 Other websites 

Gifu Prefecture's Official website 
A prefectural office of Gifu