Introducing 5 Carefully Selected Cherry Blossom Spots in Gifu: From Sites Linked to Taiga Dramas to a 1,500-Year-Old Giant Tree | Touring Gifu's 'Cherry Blossom Stories' and Sengoku Historical Sites Featured in Taiga Dramas

Gifu Prefecture, blessed with diverse north-to-south terrain and abundant clear streams, offers the charm of enjoying spectacular cherry blossom views over a long period from late March to late April. Furthermore, this land, which Oda Nobunaga named 'Gifu' and used as his base for unifying the country, is dotted with numerous historical sites that convey the footsteps of warlords to this day. With growing interest in the Sengoku period due to recent Taiga dramas, Gifu's cherry blossom spots also hold deep stories, including locations linked to Sengoku warlords and sites with legends dating back 1,500 years.

This time, we will introduce '5 Carefully Selected Gifu Cherry Blossom Spots' that you should visit right now, including the 'Ogaki City Sunomata Cherry Blossom Festival' which began on March 25th, along with the historical color behind them.

■ 5 Recommended Gifu Cherry Blossom Spots Where Nature and History Interweave

1. [Ogaki City] Sunomata Ichiya Castle and Saigawa Embankment Cherry Blossoms

Approximately 800 cherry trees line the banks of the Sai River, which flows around Sunomata Ichiya Castle, stretching for 3.7 km.

Passing through the cherry blossom tunnel leads to Sunomata Ichiya Castle (Ogaki City Sunomata Historical Museum), where the harmony between the castle and the blossoms is truly atmospheric.

The 'Ogaki City Sunomata Cherry Blossom Festival' began on March 25th, and the sight of the illuminated castle against the backdrop of cherry blossoms is a must-see.

【Best Time to View】Late March to early April

【Sengoku Color】Sunomata Ichiya Castle, featured in the currently airing Taiga drama, is said to have been built in just a few days by Kinoshita Tokichiro (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi) in 1566.

【Basic Information】Address: 1742-1 Sunomata-cho, Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture | Phone: 0584-62-3322 | Access: From JR Hozumi Station, take the Meihan Kintetsu Bus (Anpachi-Hozumi Line/Anpachi Onsen bound) for 13 minutes, get off at 'Plant 6-guchi' bus stop, and walk 5 minutes / From JR Ogaki Station, take the Meihan Kintetsu Bus (Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University bound) from South Exit platform 2, get off at 'Sunomata', and walk 12 minutes / From JR Gifu Station, take the Gifu Bus (Sunomata bound) from platform 6, get off at the final stop 'Sunomata', and walk 12 minutes.

2. [Ogaki City] Oku no Hosomichi Musubi no Chi (Sumiyoshi Lighthouse / Funamachi Port)

Somei Yoshino cherry trees bloom in splendor for about 1.1 km along the Suimon River, which flows through the city. The view of the blossoms looking up from a 'tub boat' or 'boat cruise' gliding along the river surface is truly spectacular.

【Best Time to View】Late March to early April

【Sengoku Color】The Suimon River once functioned as the outer moat of Ogaki Castle...