岐阜城 · Gifu-jo
This is the mountain where Nobunaga declared he would rule Japan — and the view from 329 meters makes it easy to believe him.
#39 — 100 Famous CastlesChild: ¥100
Last entry 17:00
Bus also available
Children (elementary school age and under) ¥100. Ropeway fare is separate: approximately ¥1,100 round trip for adults. Combined ticket with ropeway available.
Gifu Castle is essential for anyone interested in Oda Nobunaga and the Sengoku period. The castle itself is a modest concrete reconstruction, but the setting is extraordinary — 329 meters above the city on a rocky summit, with cliffs falling away on multiple sides and panoramic views across the Nobi Plain and the Nagara River. This is where Nobunaga coined his famous motto and launched his unification campaign. The ropeway ride adds to the drama and the views from the tower are outstanding on a clear day. Allow time to walk the summit paths and stone walls beyond the tower.
Oda Nobunaga seized this castle in 1567, renamed both the castle and the surrounding town 'Gifu,' and declared it his base for the unification of Japan. Standing on the 329-meter summit of Mt. Kinka, Nobunaga could survey his domain in every direction — a deliberate statement of dominance over the landscape and anyone in it. This is where his dream of a unified Japan began.
The summit of Mt. Kinka is not a gentle hill but a genuine mountain. The castle sits at 329 meters, with sheer cliff faces on multiple sides making direct assault nearly impossible. The ropeway ride to the top is itself a dramatic experience — the city of Gifu spreads below you as you ascend, with the Nagara River winding through the plain.
Nobunaga is said to have looked out from this summit and seen 'the realm under heaven' — the phrase 'Tenka Fubu' (天下布武, 'Rule the realm by force') became his personal seal after taking Gifu. The panoramic view from the castle tower today gives you precisely what Nobunaga saw: mountains, rivers, plains — the geography of a country waiting to be unified.
Visitor Tip
Take the Kinkazan Ropeway from the base station — the 4-minute ride gives you dramatic views over Gifu city and is much easier than the mountain trail. From the ropeway upper station, it's a short walk through pleasant forested paths to the castle tower on the summit. The views from the top floor of the tower are outstanding.
yamajiro
Mountain castle — built on the summit of Mt. Kinka (329 meters), with sheer cliffs providing natural defense on most sides
renkaku
Compound style — main tower on summit with subsidiary structures and defensive walls stepping down the mountain slopes
Concrete reconstruction (1956) — the original castle structures were dismantled or burned over time; the current four-story reinforced concrete tower was built for the city's postwar reconstruction era. A small but visually striking tower on a dramatic summit.
nozurazumi — Natural stone stacking — rough stone walls fitted together, characteristic of mountain castle construction where materials were sourced from the surrounding terrain
Stone walls step down the mountain slopes on multiple levels. The summit approach involves stone-lined paths and walls clinging to the cliff faces. Much of the original stonework survives on the mountain despite the tower's reconstruction.
Mt. Kinka Summit Position (329m)
The castle occupies an almost impossibly defensible natural position — a rocky summit with cliffs on multiple sides. Any attacking force had to approach via a single narrow mountain trail, entirely visible to defenders above. The mountain itself was the castle's primary weapon.
Cliff Faces and Rocky Slopes
The natural cliff faces of Mt. Kinka drop sharply away from the summit on several sides, making flanking attacks effectively impossible. Attackers were funneled into a single approach corridor that defenders could hold with a small force.
Nagara River Barrier
The Nagara River wraps around the base of Mt. Kinka on one side, providing an additional natural barrier and giving the castle control over an important river crossing in the Nobi Plain.
The Deadliest Gate in Japan
The attacking force crosses the moat and approaches the outer gate. Defenders hold fire, allowing the enemy to commit.
Historical Context — Gifu Castle
An attacking army at Mt. Kinka faced an almost insurmountable challenge. The sheer cliff faces on multiple sides forced any assault up the single narrow mountain trail — a chokepoint where defenders above could hold off far superior numbers. Nobunaga's choice of this summit as his base was a statement not just of military logic but of psychological dominance: he looked down on everyone.
Initial fortification of Mt. Kinka, then known as Inabayama, by the Nikki clan. The mountain's defensive potential had long been recognized, but it was not yet developed into a major castle.
The Saito clan under Saito Dosan controls the castle, which is known as Inabayama Castle. Dosan develops it significantly and rules the Mino region from this summit base.
Oda Nobunaga defeats Saito Tatsuoki and takes Inabayama Castle. He immediately renames both castle and town: Inabayama becomes 'Gifu' (a name invoking the ancient Chinese Zhou dynasty founding site), and the castle becomes Gifu Castle. He adopts his famous seal 'Tenka Fubu' — 'Rule the realm by force' — signaling his ambition to unify Japan from this mountain base.
Nobunaga moves his main residence to Azuchi Castle on Lake Biwa, a new castle of unprecedented scale and luxury. Gifu is handed to his son Nobutada but remains strategically important as a Nobunaga power base.
The castle is attacked and burned during the Battle of Sekigahara's preliminary maneuvering. The Oda lords defending it are defeated by the eastern (Tokugawa-allied) forces. The castle suffers severe damage.
Tokugawa Ieyasu orders Gifu Castle demolished — part of his policy of eliminating fortresses that could serve as rallying points for opposition. The site is abandoned for over 350 years.
A reinforced concrete reconstruction of the main tower is built on the summit as part of postwar reconstruction enthusiasm. Though not historically accurate, it gave the mountain landmark its current silhouette and houses a historical museum.
The NHK Taiga Drama set in the Sengoku period, featuring Oda Nobunaga's rise, prominently depicted Gifu Castle and the Mino region. Drove significant tourism to Gifu city.
Autumn (October–November) for clear views and foliage on the mountain slopes. Spring for cherry blossoms at the ropeway base. Avoid summer midday heat — the summit has little shade. Morning or evening visits have the best light and thinner crowds.
2–2.5 hours (ropeway, summit walk, tower)
Walk beyond the main tower along the summit ridge — there are surviving stone walls and foundations from the original castle that most visitors ignore while photographing the reconstructed tower. The view from the cliff edge on the northern side is more dramatic than from the tower itself. On a clear day you can see Mt. Ontake and the Japan Alps to the north and east.
Children (elementary school age and under) ¥100. Ropeway fare is separate: approximately ¥1,100 round trip for adults. Combined ticket with ropeway available.
Extended to 21:30 during summer (June–October). Seasonal closures possible in severe weather. Ropeway hours may differ.
犬山城 · Inuyama-jo
📍 Aichi — Chubu
The oldest surviving castle tower in Japan — compact, dramatic, and perched above a river just as it was when Oda Nobunaga's family built it in 1537.
大垣城 · Ogaki-jo
📍 Gifu — Chubu
The crossroads castle where Ishida Mitsunari planned his doomed resistance — Ogaki stood at the hinge of the battle that made Tokugawa Japan.
加納城 · Kano-jo
📍 Gifu — Chubu
The castle Tokugawa Ieyasu built to assert dominance over Nobunaga's former heartland — early Edo period political architecture in Gifu's southern suburbs.
The nearest station is Gifu Station (JR Tokaido Main Line / Takayama Main Line). It is approximately a 60-minute walk from the station. Bus from Gifu Station to the Kinkazan Ropeway base station (approx. 15 min). Ropeway ride to the summit takes about 4 minutes. Walking the trail to the summit takes 40–60 minutes. Parking: Parking available at the ropeway base (Kinkazan Ropeway Sanroku Station). Fee applies. Accessible with a JR Pass.
Adult admission is ¥200. Children: ¥100. Children (elementary school age and under) ¥100. Ropeway fare is separate: approximately ¥1,100 round trip for adults. Combined ticket with ropeway available.
Gifu Castle is essential for anyone interested in Oda Nobunaga and the Sengoku period. The castle itself is a modest concrete reconstruction, but the setting is extraordinary — 329 meters above the city on a rocky summit, with cliffs falling away on multiple sides and panoramic views across the Nobi Plain and the Nagara River. This is where Nobunaga coined his famous motto and launched his unification campaign. The ropeway ride adds to the drama and the views from the tower are outstanding on a clear day. Allow time to walk the summit paths and stone walls beyond the tower.
Gifu Castle is open 09:30 – 17:30 (last entry 17:00). Extended to 21:30 during summer (June–October). Seasonal closures possible in severe weather. Ropeway hours may differ.
Plan on spending 2–2.5 hours (ropeway, summit walk, tower) at Gifu Castle. Walk beyond the main tower along the summit ridge — there are surviving stone walls and foundations from the original castle that most visitors ignore while photographing the reconstructed tower. The view from the cliff edge on the northern side is more dramatic than from the tower itself. On a clear day you can see Mt. Ontake and the Japan Alps to the north and east.