Gifu Castle + Ito Toyo Library - Nagoya Day Trip Itinerary

🚄Transportation This trip started from #Nagoya. Taking the JR Rapid, it took less than 30 minutes to reach #Gifu (JR is cheaper than Meitetsu 🫢). 🎫Tickets After arriving at JR Nagoya Station, exit from the "Chuo-North Exit" and find the "JR Gifu Information Center" to purchase the "Gifu Castle Entry Pass" (picture 2) for ¥1,700. This pass includes a "Gifu Castle Admission Ticket," a "Kinkazan Ropeway Round Trip Ticket," and a "Gifu Bus Unlimited Rides for One Day." After purchasing your ticket, walk straight ahead and turn right to the "Bus Stop No. 11 & 12." Just take any bus to Gifu Castle! 😍 ‼ ️Important After getting off the bus, you'll see many stalls and shops, which look incredibly attractive. However, it's recommended to go directly to the #Kinkazan Ropeway boarding area to get a number, as there's a high chance of waiting for the ropeway. I arrived on a Sunday afternoon and had to wait at least 40 minutes. During this time, you can go back to browse the interesting stalls and shops or take photos at the foot of the mountain. (One shop sells venison croquettes, which are quite delicious.) 🚠Eating on the Mountain🍽️ After reaching the top, there's a scenic restaurant that offers a #HidaBeef set meal for ¥2,600 (picture 4). The meat is very tender, the sauce is delicious, and the portion is generous. It also comes with a bowl of soup and a salad. Overall, it's excellent value for money, and the view from the window is amazing, making it well worth a visit. 🏯Entering the Castle After your meal, it's about a 10-minute walk uphill to reach the castle tower. Gifu Castle's interior is quite modern, and there are displays related to #OdaNobunaga. After climbing to the top, you'll reach the observation deck of Gifu Castle. The weather was great that day, so you could see the entire city of Nagoya! 😍 🚠 Descending the Mountain We descended the mountain just before sunset. Actually, my favorite part of the entire Gifu Castle is the "Three-Storied Pagoda" at the foot of the mountain (pictures 6 and 7). I specifically included two photos of it; it looks good from every angle, I'm very satisfied! 😚 🚌 Bus -> #ToyoIto Library 📚 Take any bus from the stop heading towards Gifu Station from Gifu Castle. Get off at "Shiyakusho/Uguisudani High School Exit." It's a 5-8 minute walk to Toyo Ito's "Everyone's Forest Library" (みんなの森ぎふメディアコスモス). The first floor houses the city hall's offices and study areas; you can see some students studying there. The second floor is the main library building (Figures 8-10). The entire second floor uses hanging curtains to create partitions, making it a truly wonderful place to read. 🥹 Although it's supposedly designed to be a place where people can talk, it's actually quite quiet inside. 🫢 🚌Return Trip🚄 Finally, you walk to the same bus stop and take any bus back to Gifu Station to catch the JR train to Nagoya. I used the castle pass to ride the bus three times during the entire trip, so it was definitely worth it! 🤩