https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/ 楽天ブログ - Gifu Crossroads ja webmaster2010 Copyright (c) webmaster2010,Inc All rights reserved. 2012-06-27T17:22:16+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201206270000/ Dear readers, it's been far too long! I apologize deeply for not keeping up with this blog over the past several months. At the same time, I am excited to let you know that the Gifu Crossroads ... webmaster2010 2012-06-27T17:22:16+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201201040000/   Recently I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, held at an old Japanese confectionary shop in the old part of Gifu City known as Kawara-machi (川原町). Now, the... webmaster2010 2012-01-04T10:42:13+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110250000/ A few weekends ago I had the privilege of going to see the 18th Mino Washi Akari-Art Exhibition held every year in the old district of Mino City, Gifu, and I can tell you that it honestly surp... webmaster2010 2011-10-26T11:30:17+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110190000/ Two weekends ago, I made my way to the annual Cutlery Festival held in Seki City in central Gifu Prefecture, so here are some of the highlights of what I saw there! Dozens of ayu (sweetfish) being ... webmaster2010 2011-10-19T14:46:52+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110110000/ The Battle of Sekigahara, perhaps the most famous battle in all of Japanese history fought in 1600, determined the course of the nation for next several hundred years. It's significance is wide... webmaster2010 2011-10-11T14:56:02+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110070001/   To be held this Sunday on October 9, 2011, this annual festival held in Toki City, Gifu is said to have begun in 1623 when the lord of Tsumaki Castle offered a horse in exchange for good for... webmaster2010 2011-10-07T14:26:31+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110070000/ Last weekend, I was able to attend the Gifu Nobunaga Festival 2011 in Gifu City, a festival that honors the great historical figure Nobunaga who did so much for both Japan and for Gifu (which he in... webmaster2010 2011-10-07T11:48:37+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110060000/ Also known as the Hachiman Festival, the Takayama Autumn Festival, along with its counterpart in the spring, is considered one of the three most beautiful festivals in all of Japan. During October ... webmaster2010 2011-10-06T16:23:01+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110050000/   This year's annual celebration of Mino Washi Japanese paper will be held this weekend, October 8th and 9th, in the city of Mino in central Gifu!  Mino Washi is the thinnest and yet ... webmaster2010 2011-10-05T13:59:25+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110040001/ This weekend, on October 8th and 9th, the annual Seki Cutlery Festival will be held in Seki City in central Gifu! Well-known internationally for its high-quality products, Seki has a history and tr... webmaster2010 2011-10-04T16:54:34+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201110040000/   While it is true that Gifu is considered the "countryside" of Japan, it has better access to one of Japan's metropolitan areas than most of the other prefectures. Indeed, parts... webmaster2010 2011-10-04T10:10:24+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201109300000/ How important are simple things like a greeting, a farewell, a mere wave of the hand?? In a recently trip I was lucky enough to go on, traveling around Gifu Prefecture, I found that the answer to t... webmaster2010 2011-09-30T13:46:43+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201109290000/ Here are a few pictures to illustrate the process of making Mino-Washi paper, the thinnest yet one of the strongest types of Japanese paper that has been made in the city of Mino (and elsewhere) fo... webmaster2010 2011-09-29T13:13:32+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201109280000/    At Gero Onsen, considered one of the three best hot springs in all of Japan, the rejuvenating hot spring water flows from the earth in abundance. People come from all over Japan and, i... webmaster2010 2011-09-28T16:49:48+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201109210000/  Held annually in the old town of Hida Furukawa in northern Gifu, the "Kitsunebi Matsuri," or "Fox Fire Festival," is an event that celebrates tradition, mysticism, and one... webmaster2010 2011-09-21T13:35:31+09:00 https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/machi21english/diary/201109200000/ "International exchange of soil and flame!"This past weekend marked the beginning of the 9th International Ceramics Festival Mino, Japan, a festival spanning a month and a half that aims ... webmaster2010 2011-09-20T15:59:52+09:00