After about 1.5 hours of tour bus highway ride from Nagoya station, we reached our first destination of the tour, Gujo Hachiman Castle Town.
Nestled in the heart of Gifu Prefecture, Gujo Hachiman is a charming castle town famous for its pristine waterways, rich cultural heritage.
The town preserves its Edo-period charm, with narrow streets, traditional merchant houses (machiya), and a gentle rhythm of life.
Surrounded by rivers and forested hills, the town seamlessly blends natural beauty with historic charm, earning it the nickname: "The Water City" (水のまち).
If you looked closely at the top left corner of the above photo, there is a castle right at the top of the hill. Below was after I zoomed in using my iPhone Pro. Atop Mount Hachiman overlooking the town, the elegant Gujo Hachiman Castle is the oldest wooden reconstruction of a Japanese castle. Originally built in 1559, it was later rebuilt in wood in 1933. We did not choose to visit the castle because it would take quite a while to walk up the hill from the town. There were a lot more things to see in Gujo Hachiman Castle Town.
Shin Machi Dori (新町通り) is one of the most atmospheric and historically rich streets in Gujo Hachiman, offering a glimpse into the town’s Edo-period charm and merchant-class past.
Yoshida River (吉田川), is a clear, fast-flowing river runs through the heart of Gujo Hachiman. It’s also a great spot to admire traditional homes lining the riverbanks.
After crossing Shinbashi over the Yoshida River, we came to an old government building, where visitors can buy souvenirs or have a meal.
Around the corner, we arrived at Igawa Lane (いがわ小径), a narrow, serene walkway alongside a manmade waterway filled with koi fish and bordered by old stone basins.
Historically, residents used this lane to do laundry, cool summer produce, and collect drinking water, practices that are still partially in use today. It’s one of the best places to experience the town’s deep relationship with its water systems.
We continued to explore the other parts of this beautiful and quiet town.
There were Kois swimming in the "drain" throughout the town. It just shows how clean the water was in this town. Amazing!
There are shops selling handmade washi paper, umbrellas, and realistic food replicas (plastic food samples), a craft for which Gujo is nationally famous.
We then came to a scenic cobblestone path alongside a crystal-clear stream, lined with old stone water basins once used for daily life.
At this point, we got to slowly walk back to the parking area where we alighted our tour bus earlier.
On our way back, we decided to visit one more attraction in the town called Sōgi-sui (宗祇水) Spring.
Designated as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Waters, this natural spring has been a vital water source for centuries. Named after the 15th-century poet Sōgi, it is not only drinkable but considered spiritually pure. The spring features a tiered water basin system, historically used by residents for drinking, washing rice, and rinsing dishes, symbolizing the town’s community-based water ethics.
Finally, we returned to the parking area but before boarding the bus, we used the toilets at a mini shop selling souvenirs and local products.
Gujo Hachiman Castle Town is really worth a visit and we were glad to follow this tour, the only one that stops by this town as part of a day trip to Gifu prefecture, according to the tour guide. Our next stop was Takayama and it's about an hour of bus ride away.
The bus journey from Gujo Hachiman Castle Town to Takayama is a beautiful ride through the heart of the Japanese Alps, offering a tranquil and scenic passage into one of Gifu Prefecture’s most beloved mountain towns.
As the elevation rose, the bus entered a series of long tunnels that burrow through mountain ridges, an engineering feat that makes travel in this alpine region possible.
After exiting each tunnel, we'll often find dramatic changes in scenery such as snowy peaks and misty forests.
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