Gifu city is located in the south-central part of Gifu prefecture. Due to its location in the middle of Japan, Gifu was an important city in connecting all of Japan in the 1400s.
One of the most popular things to do in Gifu is to watch Cormorant Fishing. Cormorants are large birds with long necks that dive into the water to catch and eat fish. The fishermen in this area use trained cormorants to catch fish from their boats.
Fun festivals in Gifu include the Tejikara Fire Festival, as well as firework festivals along the Nagara river. The Tejikara Fire Festival happens twice a year and celebrates through bonfires and traditional Japanese theater along the embankments. Fireworks in Gifu can attract around 400,000 visitors with 30,000 fireworks being ignited each season.
Ayu, or sweetfish, is one of Gifu’s most famous foods. Ayu are found in Nagara river and are typically grilled over an open flame and eaten with a dash of salt.
For those cold winter nights, Gifu’s Hoba Miso dish can certainly warm you up. Hoba leaves are wrapped around whatever you’d like and served over a charcoal fire, then topped with delicious miso.
For more information about schools in AEON’s Chubu area click here.
Here’s more from AEON Gifu School teacher Meg sensei:
What do you like most about teaching your students?
My students range in age from 17 to 79 years old, and their occupations and motivations for learning English are equally varied. I love working with such a mix of people. The one thing they all have in common is that they are friendly and welcoming! Often my students will tell me about local events, and they are always happy to describe the location, and how to get there.
What do you do on the vacation periods?
My first vacation was after 12 weeks of work, and I spent it relaxing and doing short trips around my prefecture, getting comfortable. Other friends used the time to travel to Tokyo, or Kyoto – anything is possible.
After about 8 weeks my best friend came from Australia to visit. She was here just in time for the cherry blossoms! In August my family will visit during my week’s vacation.
For more information about AEON from current and former teachers, see AEON’s reviews on Glassdoor.