As I posted before, Gifu Castle is the symbol of Gifu City, about 400 km west of Tokyo. The castle was constructed at the top of Mt. Kinkazan, 329 m above sea level, by Nikaido Yukimasa in 1201. The current building was reconstructed in 1955, imitating its medieval features. I recently visited this mountain castle one day in the evening with my family.
To visit Gifu Castle, Kinkazan Ropeway is convenient. It is an aerial tramway opened in 1955 by Kinkazan Corporation, a member of the Meitetsu (Nagoya Railway) group. Connecting Kinka-sanroku and Kinka-sancho stations, its route length is 599 m. The height difference between the two stations is 255 m. It takes about 3.5 minutes to go one way. The operation interval is 10 to 15 minutes during the daytime, but it is also operated in the evening during peak seasons. The current gondolas are the 6th generation ones, built by Osaka Sharyo Kogyo in 2011. Each gondola can hold up to 45 passengers.
After arriving at Kinka-sancho Station, it took about 10 minutes to get to the castle on foot. The view from the castle tower was fantastic. It was a gorgeous spot specifically to enjoy a night view of Gifu City. We could see the meandering Nagara River in the downtown area backed by numerous city lights. The lit up bridges across the river were also good accents.
Kinkazan of Gifu City... it is worthwhile to come from afar.
