Gifu (Living)
English
3 hours on average
2 days ago
Hello! My name is Akiko from Gifu prefecture. I am a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter.
I like going out with my family, talking with my friends over coffee at a cozy cafe, reading books, baking bread and cake when I have time.
I have lived in Gifu for more than forty years. Gifu prefecture is rich in nature so you can enjoy the rural atmosphere. Gifu city has a beautiful river 'Nagara river' and Mt.Kinka which has Gifu castle on the top. You can go up the mountain on foot or use a ropeway. The view from Gifu castle is so fantastic. At the foot of the moutain, there are many places to visit such as parks, a temple having a big image of Buddha, and a street preserving the historic atmosphere.
Many cafes have unique service called 'morning service' in Gifu along with Aichi
In the morning (until about ten thirty or eleven) when you order a cup of tea or coffee, they serve toast and salad ! Near Gifu park , you can find a nice Japanese style cafe where you enjoy good coffee seeing a Japanese style garden.
Seki city is a small city but so famous for its cutlery. At Japanese sword museum in Seki, you can see authentic Japanese swords! Mino city next to Seki city is well known for its hand made Japanese paper 'Hon minoshi' designated as intangible cultural asset by UNESCO .
Now I remember nice and kind guests I have met in Gifu. It is not easy to guide you because of COVID-19 for the time being.
I hope this difficult situation is over soon.
I’m waiting for the day when I can show you beautiful Gifu around.
Please take care and stay safe.
Thank you.
I can guide you in Nagoya city if you can pay my transportation fee.
We had a wonderful time with Akiko, who showed us around the highlights of Gifu. The Cormorant Museum was most interesting as we knew nothing about cormorant fishing, and being able to visit the home of a cormornat fisherman and see the cormornats was an added bonus. As well the cable car ride to Gifu castle and learning a little of the history added to a memorable day.
Hello Gaye san. Thank you for your kind and nice review. I appreciate your heartwarming atmosphere. We were very lucky that we were able to see the cormorant fisherman fix the basket for cormorants. I am happy to hear the visit was a nice experience to you. Thank you again for everything and choosing Gifu city as one of the destinations in Japan. Please have an enjoyable and safe trip.
I had the unique pleasure of having Akiko as my guide for a tour of Seki City. When I booked the tour my emphasis was on visiting knife/cutlery factory’s and craftsman that Seki is know for, as well as visiting the Seki Sword museum. I have been on tours in Japan with other guides in the past but this one was very different. Akiko went above and beyond to make the experience as broad and encompassing as possible, highlighting site along the way such as various temples and shrines, with an excellent historical background for all these places of interest. Her English is excellent not only in vocabulary and expression, but she is familiar with many colloquial phrases, sayings etc. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch midday, complete with and origami display while we waited for our meal. The bottom line is this: Akiko puts her heart into her job and really did her utmost to provide@ great tour and I truly appreciated it. I would strongly recommend her for any of the tours in the Gifu area, if you want a gourd experience and value. Carmelo
Hello Carmelo san I am so honored that you took your time and sent me your nice review. It was such a beautiful day that we enjoyed walking on that day. At the Seki Sword Museum, I was so moved by your deep knowledge and passion about Katana. Your passion taught me that we should respect our tradition and culture again. I learned a lot from you and I thought I should learn more about Katana. I am sure every person you met in Seki welcome you. I enjoyed translating the conversation between you and the restaurant owner . I hope I will be able to make more kinds of origami . We were very happy having you in Seki. I will continue working hard so that I can gather information for the enough preparation and move flexibly on the day of tour. When you have a chance to visit Japan again, please come back to Seki again. Please have a safe and nice trip. Thank you so much for everything, Carmelo san.
Akiko is such a wonderful and generous guide. I travelled to Japan to specifically learn how to make fake food, as I am an artist myself. Akiko called up the fake food workshops for me to organise meetings with the managers and staff. When I met with her she had even done her own research at the library on fake food and showed me the books she borrowed and translated them for me. Akiko interpreted the conversations I had with staff with great fluency and was incredibly patient. We had a wonderful lunch on our first day together and I really enjoyed the time I spent with her. I had an incredible experience and couldn't recommend Akiko highly enough. Thank you so much Akiko!
Dear Laetitia Thank you so much for your kind comment. I am so impressed and happy to hear you have come to Gujo Hachiman to learn about fake food. You showed me your paintings and photos of your works of art. All of them are so nice! I love them! In the near future, I would love to see fake food made by you. The lunch with you was special to me. Thank you for the enjoyable time! I’m glad you liked local delicacies and clear water in Gujo Hachiman. I hope you will come back to Gifu again. Thank you so much , Laetitia.
We are a group of 5 people from Malaysia. Akiko san was our tour guide in Gifu for 2 days ie 18 & 19 May 2019. I have travelled extensively throughout the whole world with the help of many tour guides. Of them all , I found Akiko to be the most courteous and polite! She worked very hard for us and always answered my queries promptly and effectively. Not only she planned the entire itinerary for us , she also advised us on the most cost effective way to travel to our destination before and after her guided tour. Akiko san lived in Gifu for more than 40years and she knows the area very well. She also speaks good English. I would highly recommend her for anyone who needs a tour guide in Gifu.
I reallly thank you for your feedback filled with kind and positive words, Gin san. I am so honored to have the wonderful , friendly and kind guests like you in Gifu Prefecture. I am very happy that you enjoyed Gujo Hachiman , Cormorant fishing and Shirakawago. We were blessed with sunny days. I had a great time with you all! I hope you will come back to Gifu to spend relaxing time in beautiful nature in the near future. Thank you again for everything.
Gifu, Japan
Gifu, Japan
Gifu, Japan