A practical English guide to Hida in Gifu: the Furukawa old streets, the mountain basin and access from Takayama and Toyama.
Operational details such as opening hours, admission fees, and train times can change. Prefer official pages and reconfirm before you travel (sources checked on 08 November 2026).
Why visit
- Hida is a city in the mountains of northern Gifu, just north of Takayama, formed from several old towns in the basins of the Miyagawa river. Its best-known quarter is Furukawa, a quieter version of Takayama with white-walled storehouses, canals and wooden streets.
- The city is known for its sake, its carp-filled canals and its spring festival of tall floats. Beyond Furukawa the landscape is forest, rice fields and the high peaks of the Hida range, with hot springs in the valleys.
- Hida is close to Takayama and on the way to Toyama, which makes it an easy stop for anyone already in the region who wants fewer crowds.
Top places and highlights
Furukawa streets
White-walled storehouses, canals and wooden houses.
Mountain basin
Rice fields and forest under the Hida peaks.
Sake and carp
Breweries and canals stocked with carp.
Spring festival
Tall floats through the old streets in spring.
Food and drink
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Getting there and around
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Where to stay
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Best time to visit
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Practical tips
- The old town is lived in; keep to the streets.
- Festival days are crowded; go early.
- Winter snow can slow the mountain roads.
Suggested day-trip outline
- Morning: train from Takayama.
- Late morning: the Furukawa streets and canals.
- Lunch: soba or a local set meal.
- Afternoon: a sake brewery and the basin views.
- Late afternoon: a walk into the hills.
- Evening: dinner in town, or back to Takayama.
Before you go
Timetables, fares, admission fees, and seasonal access rules can change. Check the official tourism and transport sites linked below for the latest information before you travel.
Explore More of Japan
Published guides that pair with this one:
- Ena Travel Guide: A River Town in Eastern Gifu
- Gujo Travel Guide: Water Streets and Summer Dance in Gifu
- Kiso-Fukushima Travel Guide: A Nakasendo Post Town in Nagano
- Obama Travel Guide: A Castle Town on Wakasa Bay
- Nanto Travel Guide: Gassho Villages in Toyama
Browse every Chubu guide on this site for the rest of the region.
Sources
- city.hida.gifu.jp (checked 2026-11-08)
- pref.gifu.lg.jp (checked 2026-11-08)
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