The journey through one of Japan’s most underrated regions continues. Sole Sister Julienne ventures into the countryside to find the past continuing to live on in Gifu’s old towns, castle ruins, and quaint villages

Our tour guide calls her province “the belly button of Japan”. Its name is Chūbu, the central region between Tokyo and Osaka, and home to economic powerhouse Nagoya. The city, with its 9.1 million inhabitants, is a major shipping port and home to industrial giants like Toyota Motors and Brother Industries.

Little did I know, however, that a short train ride away would take me to an alternate universe: that of the Japanese “heartland”. Gifu Prefecture with its old rituals and natural harmony stands out in my memory…

Preparing for the festival at Takayama

Gifu: Japan of old

If I had to choose one place to return to out of all the places we visited, it would be Gifu. It had such a strong rustic character and down-to-earth charm. Unlike the imperial palaces of Kyoto and Tokyo, there are no famous landmarks here. Instead, you draw in the slower atmosphere of traditional Japan as you inhale the mountain air while observing the local way of life.

We visited the major sites such as Unesco-awarded Shirakawa-go and the old quarters of Takayama, but didn’t have time for Gifu castle, the Ogaki river cruise, hiking in Mount Norikura, or the Gujo ski resorts. And so I told myself: I’ll be back, Gifu!

Shirakawa-go: Living world heritage site

When words are not enough to describe a place…

Tucked away in a valley is this quaint little village covered in snow for five months of the year. That’s why all the houses have steep thatched-roofs - so the snow slides off easily, rather than settling and accumulating weight.

There are streams of pristine water full of fish crisscrossing the village

This was my favourite day of that trip: simply walking around, visiting the old farm houses, eating the local street food, and relaxing by the river. We were graciously hosted by the family of Kanda House, where they showed us how their clan has been living for hundreds of years.

The owner showed us where the men would sleep, where they had a tiny window so that they could watch the fire, which was never allowed to go out

She has been living here all her life

If you’re a nature lover, I’d recommend staying a while in this Unesco World Heritage Site to explore the rich environs, from the natural hot springs of the Hirase Onsen and the Shiramizu Waterfalls to hiking at Hakusan National Park or exploring the Amou-shitsugen Marsh with its primeval forests and giant trees.

Get there: You can access Shirakawa-go via bus from Nagoya (2 hr 45 min), but it’s best to combine the visit with nearby attractions Kanazawa (1 hr 15 min away) and/or Takayama (50 min).

Takayama: Autumn festival

We couldn’t have gotten any luckier, because it just so happened that on our one and only day there, Takayama was celebrating its annual Autumn Festival. We arrived early in the morning to see the townsfolk all garbed up in their finest kimonos, preparing for the day’s festivities. We weren’t able to stay for the Karakuri (marionette) performance or the Goshinko Procession, but we were able to catch the town abuzz as the yatai (intricate floats) assembled before their parade.

With intricate wooden structures, exquisite carvings, drapes, metal ornaments and other decorations, yatai are a collection of traditional Japanese craftsmanship

Trying to blend in

After ooh-ing and aah-ing over the displays, I took a walk around the old quarter of Takayama. Luckily, because of the festival, the streets were lined with vendors and I was able to get a dose of local produce and crafts.

The longest queue was for the famous locally-raised Hida beef, and of course I couldn’t resist finding out what all the fuss was about. Standing in line was worth it, as I discovered through the different forms of the mouth-watering Hida beef. You can have it grilled, stuffed in steamed rice buns, or even as semi-raw sushi! So foodies, you know what to look for when you’re there.

Get there: Takayama is give or take 2 hr 30 min from Nagoya via train or bus

Gujo: Food replica town

Gujo City is at first visually striking because of its mountain fortress engulfed by fiery red maple trees in autumn. But we came there for another reason: to make fake food.

The master at work on a lettuce leaf

You know how Japanese restaurants always have plastic food samples outside their shops to show what’s on offer inside? Well, these replicas were first conceived during the 1930s in Gujo by Takizo Iwasaki. As the story goes, when Takizo was a child, he saw a drop of hot wax fall from a candle into a puddle of cold water where it formed into an intricate flower. He later developed a realistic way to mimic the appearance of food, which is now part of modern Japanese culture, as seen through the window displays of almost every Japanese eatery.

A gravity-defying bowl of ramen

So that morning in Gujo, instead of joining a cooking class, we headed to Sample Village Iwasaki for a food replica-making workshop. This wasn’t my favourite part of the trip (maybe because I was getting so hungry yet all the food was made out of wax). But a few of my companions said this was the highlight of the journey, so I thought I’d share it with you.

My masterpiece! A cute kid later tried to buy souvenirs from me at this counter, thinking I worked at the shop

We used wax to create tempura and lettuce, but apparently modern techniques utilise vinyl resin. The craftsmen at Iwasaki Group, I later learned, also put their talents to use in other ways, such as making prosthetic limbs for the medical field.

Get there: The train/bus from Nagoya is 1 - 1 hr 30. Experience course is around 800  JPY (6.50 USD) per person.