Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県 Gifu-ken^?) is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of central Japan.^[2]

Its capital is the city of Gifu.^[3]
 
Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō. During the Sengoku period, many people referred to Gifu by saying, "control Gifu and you control Japan."^[4]

The area of Gifu Prefecture consists of the old provinces of Hida and Mino, as well as smaller parts of Echizen and Shinano.^[5]

Gifu has many popular tourist attractions, bringing visitors to all parts of the prefecture. The most popular places are Gifu, Gero, Shirakawa and Takayama.

One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu shares borders with seven other prefectures: Aichi, Fukui, Ishikawa, Mie, Nagano, Shiga and Toyama. Japan's postal codes all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, reflecting its location in the center of Japan.

Gifu has five unofficial regions, which allows local municipalities to work together to promote the surrounding area. The five regions are Seinō,^[9] Gifu,^[10] Chūnō,^[11] Tōnō^[12] and Hida.^[13] The borders of the regions are loosely defined, but they are usually delineated among major cities.

Traditional industries such as paper-making and agriculture are found in Gifu, but its economy is dominated by manufacturing including aerospace and automotive, with industrial complexes extending from the Nagoya area.

The Mino region has long been known for its high-quality paper called Mino washi, which is stronger and thinner than most other papers in Japan. Other paper-based products include Gifu Lanterns and Gifu Umbrellas, made in the prefectural capital of Gifu.

The Sengoku period (戦国時代 Sengoku jidai^?) or the Warring States Period^[1] in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century.