Gifu Castle

Gifu CastleШаблон:Nihongo is a castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city.

History

Gifu Castle was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura Period.

Originally called Inabayama Castle (稲葉山城 Inabayama-jō), Gifu Castle has gone through many numbers of repairs over the course of several generations. Even though it was famous as a physically powerful castle, it was once taken over by a mere sixteen men.

It is known that at one time a man by the name of Takenaka Hanbei went to the castle to visit his sick brother, Saitō Tatsuoki. In reality, he went to the castle not to visit his brother, but to kill him. When Hanbei struck at him, Tatsuoki was very confused—believing an enemy army had come to attack him—and fled. Thus, Hanbei obtained Inabayama Castle with relative ease.

Later, Hanbei returned the castle to his brother, but Tatsuoki had lost an immeasurable amount of reputation and honor due to his perceived cowardly flight from the castle. When Oda Nobunaga attacked Inabayama Castle, many men under Tatsuoki remembered this event and defected. After easily defeating Tatsuoki, Nobunaga claimed the castle and made it his primary base-of-operations.

Nobunaga renamed the stronghold "Gifu Castle," following an example set by an ancient Chinese practice. Nobunaga then proceeded to renovate the castle into a far more impressive and grandiose structure than its previous incarnation. Luis Frois, a renowned Jesuit Missionary from Portugal, was personally invited by Nobunaga to visit the castle. After a short stay in Gifu, Frois praised the castle's extraordinary beauty.

The Battle of Gifu Castle in 1600 served as a prelude to both the Battle of Sekigahara and the destruction of Gifu Castle in the same year. After the demolition of the castle, part of the structure was brough to Kanō Castle to the south to fortify its position.

Present day

current version of Gifu Castle is a cement structure that was built in the 1950s, as the previous castle had been destroyed by the firebombings of the surrounding city during World War II. Inside the castle, there are three floors with exhibits representing the castle's past. With maps, weapons, pictures and other artifacts on display, visitors can recreate the story of Gifu Castle. On the top floor of the castle, an observation deck, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area, including the Nagara River and Nagoya. At various points throughout the year, the castle is also open to night viewing, providing an awe-inspiring view of the city. The newly opened Gifu City Tower 43 also provides panoramic views of the city and is open late year-round; however, its views are limited to only a few compass directions.

A short walk from the castle is a small archives museum, containing more artifacts from Gifu Castle. Also in this museum are pictures from major castles throughout Japan. Entry into this museum is included in the price to visit Gifu Castle, making it a worthwhile stop for visitors to Gifu Castle. Lights, walkways and signs that were added during 2005's beautification campaign make visiting the castle even more convenient and informative.

Gifu Castle Archives Museum

When visitors pay the entrance fee to Gifu Castle, they also receive entrance to the Gifu Castle Archives Museum, located approximately Шаблон:Convert from the entrance to Gifu Castle. Inside the museum, visitors will find more archives related to Gifu Castle and its past residents. The second floor focuses on musical instruments from Japan's past and present. Additionally, there are pictures of castles throughout Japan adorning the walls of the museum.

Castle operating hours

  • Normal Hours
March 16–May 11: 9:30am to 5:30pm May 12–October 16: 8:30am to 5:30pm October 17–March 15: 9:30am to 4:30pm
  • Night Viewing
April 28–May 6: until 9:30pm July 14–August 31: until 10:00pm September 1–October 14: until 9:30pm (Sat., Sun., and holidays only) October 15–November 30: until 6:30pm

Access

Mount Kinka offers hiking trails of varying difficulty to Gifu Castle and take approximately one hour. Visitors can also take the Mt. Kinka Ropeway that originates in Gifu Park to the mountain's summit, from which Gifu Castle is just a short walk away.

To get to Gifu Park, you can board buses operated by Gifu Bus at either JR Gifu Station (Bus Platform 11 or 12) or Meitetsu Gifu Station (Bus Platform 4). The bus takes approximately 15 minutes to get to the bus stop for Gifu Park and the Museum of History (Gifu Kōen, Rekishi Hakubutsukan-mae).

References

Шаблон:Reflist

Literature

External links

Шаблон:Commonscat

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龍
26 October 2015
「岐阜を制するものは天下を制す」。古代から天下三関の一つ「不破関」があったため物流の要所となり、京都 (公家の都) と鎌倉 (武家の都) をつなぐ一大拠点でもあった。岐阜という地名は、かつて稲葉山城下「井口」と呼ばれていた土地を織田信長公が中国の「周の文王、岐山より起こり、天下を定む」という故事にならい、ここから天下を統一するという願いを込めて「岐阜」と名付けたという。
maco koba
12 August 2014
斎藤道三が土岐頼実を追放して美濃を制した後稲葉山城と名付けられたが、永禄十年(1567)に織田信長に取って代わられてからは、岐阜城と名付けられた。信長が攻め込むまでは難攻不落の城と言われていたが、1583年賤ヶ岳の戦いの前哨戦で羽柴秀吉が織田信孝を攻めた時、また、1600年関ヶ原の戦いの前哨戦で東軍先鋒福島正則が織田秀信を攻めた際は、呆気なく落城している。やはり城とは、誰が守るかが大事なのである。
onasu
4 June 2012
ロープウェイでのぼるのもイイけど、昔の武将に思いをはせながら(?)自然を満喫しつつ、歩いてのぼるのも楽しいょ。七曲登山道は比較的ファミリー向け。日本百名城のスタンプは、すぐ近くの岐阜城資料館で!
hatomune
15 July 2013
ロープウェイの駅からお城までは それなりの山路を登ります。 なので歩きやすい靴の方が良いですよ。ヒールは雨後だと間違いなく滑ります。
Tomoki S
21 June 2022
天守閣は風が通って涼しく、また眺めも抜群です。
JK Kim
5 October 2015
케이블카를반드시 타세요
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foursquare.com
8.4/10
オルゴン, psychicer and 12,167 more people have been here
Map
18 Tenshukaku, Gifu-shi, Gifu-ken 500-0000, Japan Get directions
Mon-Tue 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Wed 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
Thu 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Fri 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM–6:00 PM

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