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Handmade paper Mino-Washi and traditional swords of SEKI

Visitors can stroll around japanese rooms and gardens of old houses.

In a room of the traditional merchant house

Gifu Private Tour - A store selling traditional Japanese rice wine SAKE. You can not only stroll around the old house but also buy tasty alcohol beverages and buy them.

A store selling traditional Japanese rice wine SAKE. You can not only stroll around the old house but also buy tasty alcohol beverages and buy them.

Sword-smith performing traditional technique at Seki Traditional Sword Smith Museum

Many masterpieces are on display in the Traditional Swordsmith Museum

Tourist are visitting a knife factory and learning how high-quality products are made.

The government has designated some traditional housing sites as Important Traditional Constructions Area.in Mino

Small footlights shaded with designed papers are good choice for souvenir.

A variety of silverware are sold in cutlery shops at cheaper price than other department stores.

Handmade paper Mino-Washi and traditional swords of SEKI

Unique Experience

Joined 2015

Tetsuji Y.

4.91 / 5

(58 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Gifu

Japanese (Native), English

10 hours

Private tour (only you and Tetsuji Y.)

Up to 8 people

You enjoy two distinctive fields of Japanese culture by visiting two small towns in one day trip. The one is Mino which is famous for Japanese hand-made paper Washi. Another one is Seki famous for Japanese-swordsmith. Strolling around two towns, you will learn some of secrets of cool Japan.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

08:00 AM

Meeting Point

At JR Gifu Station

- in front of the ticket gate at 7:50AM

08:00 AM

JR Gifu station

leave Gifu by 8:11-train

09:30 AM

Mino old town district

Mino city was established as a castle town and prospered through production of Washi-paper. The center district of the city is well preserved as one of the important traditional building areas in Japan. You could take a leisurely stroll through the historic townscape Which dates back to the Edo period

10:00 AM

Former Imaike Residence

This building was constructed in the end of the 19th century and used as a Washi-paper wholesale merchant's house. The chief of a family also served as the a headman of this town. You could get detailed information about a typical townhouse of the Edo period.

10:30 AM

Mino-Washi Akari Art Gallery

This gallery provides you a fantastic atmosphere made by collaboration with paper-art and lights. Many competition masterpieces are on display telling the possibility of paper in daily lives.

12:30 PM

Lunch

01:30 PM

Seki Traditional Sword Smith MUseum

In this museum, you could learn about the history and the process of Japanese swordsmith.

02:30 PM

Feather Museum (The world's First Comprehensive Museum)

This museum was established by the biggest safety razor company in Japan and provide you an eye-opening experience and knowledge of cutlery

03:00 PM

Knife Factory

You visit one of the workshops manufacturing high-quality knives. The company prospered business handing down traditional concept of swordsmith production.

05:30 PM

JR JR Minota station

06:00 PM

JR Gifu station

Ending Point

At JR Gifu Station

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

guide fee

What‘s not included

transportation fee about 4000yen/person

entrance fee for guests (Mino-Washi Akari Art Gallery 200yen/person, Former Imaike Residence 300yen/person, Seki Traditional Sword Smith Museum 300yen/person)

lunch and beverages about 3000-5000yen/person

Tour Important Information

Mino is a small castle-town surrounded by mountains. Mino is, however, also one of the hometowns of the traditional Japanese hand-made paper“WASHI”. It was registered as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2014. You can not only see goods and works of art made from WASHI but stroll around the traditional housing area which includes some excellent souvenir shops. I promise you will find and experience traditional Japan by exploring this cozy old town.

Seki is famous for being one of five samurai-swordsmith manufacturing towns in Japan since 14th century. You can see an authentic sword-hammering performance in the Seki Traditional Sword Smith Museum on the first Sunday of every months. Now, since Seki is known for high-quality knives and cutlery production, In the end, you visit a factory to see and learn how those high-quality products are made. You can also buy products at reasonable prices compared to other stores around Japan.

Important message from the supplier

I can guide in Kyoto in case you support transportation fee.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2015

Tetsuji Y.

4.91 / 5

(58 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Tetsuji Y.

Hello everyone. I am Tetsuji. I worked as a public servant in the local government for 35 years. I belonged to the department of Redevelopment, Town-Landscaping, Preserving historical areas and Architectural Guidance. (I have a national 1st-class architect license.) I devoted myself to revitalizing the city by making plans and improving infrastructure for citizens.

Gifu is located in central Japan near Nagoya. As just being the crossroads of the West and the East, there are many unique attractions that are hard to discover in hectic big cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. I had a hand in restoring and preserving some of them throughout my career and want to introduce them to tourists from abroad. That’s why I became a guide-interpreter in Gifu.

I also enjoyed traveling around the world. My favorite part of each trip was walking around the city and talking with local residents. Traveling has taught me lots of things during my lifetime. Now, I would like to help others have similar experience in Japan. Shall we enjoy fantastic journey in Gifu?

Reviews

Pascal N.

5 / 5

Oct 29, 2025

Discover Authentic Japan in Tsumago & Magome, Nakasendo

Oct 29, 2025

Gifu

5 hours 30 mins

“Wonderful hike along the historic Nakasendo trail”

We enjoyed another fantastic day with our guide, Tetsuji — this time hiking along the historic Nakasendo trail between the post towns of Magome and Tsumago. Walking through these beautifully preserved villages felt like stepping back in time to the Edo period, surrounded by wooden houses, stone paths, and serene mountain scenery. Tetsuji was, once again, an exceptional guide — kind, knowledgeable, and always attentive to our pace and interests. He shared fascinating insights about the history of the Nakasendo and the daily life of the people who once traveled this route. His explanations made the experience so much richer and more meaningful. Thanks to Tetsuji, we had an unforgettable day full of atmosphere, history, and beauty. We highly recommend him to anyone who wants to experience Japan’s heritage in an authentic and personal way.

Tetsuji Y.

I really appreciate that you and Sandra enjoyed my tour and felt comfortable asking questions, as if you were at home. I’m happy and grateful for your kind words about my work. Your curiosity about Japanese culture became the driving force that helped me naturally give my best performance. I hope you’ll come back to Japan and join my tour again in the near future—before I retire from this job!

Pascal N.

5 / 5

Oct 29, 2025

Best Choice for one-day Takayama tour

Oct 29, 2025

Gifu

7 hours 30 mins

“Great full-day tour with Tetsuji in Takayama”

We had a wonderful full-day tour with Tetsuji in Takayama and Hida-Furukawa. Takayama is a charming city nestled in the mountains, known for its beautiful old town, the Miyagawa morning market, and the peaceful Higashiyama walking course. Throughout the day, we learned so much about the region’s culture and history and experienced the area’s unique atmosphere through seeing, tasting, and exploring. Tetsuji was an excellent guide — very friendly, flexible, and always attentive to our interests. His deep knowledge of Takayama and Hida-Furukawa made every stop more meaningful. He also took us to a wonderful local restaurant, where we shared a delicious meal together in a very pleasant and authentic setting. Thanks to Tetsuji, we spent a truly memorable day filled with new impressions and experiences we would never have had on our own. We can recommend him without any hesitation!

Tetsuji Y.

Marie-eve L.

5 / 5

Oct 10, 2025

Discover Authentic Japan in Tsumago & Magome, Nakasendo

Oct 10, 2025

Gifu

7 hours

“Nakasendo trail”

Nice hiking day along the Nakasendo trail with Tetsuji. The day was well planned and we stopped at key points to have informations or see beautiful scenery. Thank you Tetsuji, we will book another activity with you again on our next trip to japan.

Tetsuji Y.

I am so happy receiving satisfaction message for my tour from you, and grateful for full marks. I am looking forward to seeing you and Francoi again.