Gifu Prefecture occupies the heart of Honshu, stretching from the UNESCO-listed thatched villages of Shirakawa-go through the Hida mountain range to the cormorant-fishing rivers of Gifu City. It is one of Japan's most scenically diverse prefectures, blending ancient traditions with dramatic alpine landscapes.
Gifu Prefecture offers one of Japan's most distinctive regional food cultures. The mountain isolation of the Hida region produced hearty, fermentation-forward cuisine: hoba miso (soybean paste grilled on magnolia leaves), keichan (miso-marinated chicken stir-fried tableside), and ayu sweetfish from the Nagara and Hida Rivers. Hida beef, a premium wagyu breed raised in the high mountain valleys, rivals Kobe beef in marbling and flavour. Takayama produces several excellent sake breweries visible in the Sanmachi Suji. The Nagara River's ayu sweetfish is celebrated nationwide and forms the centrepiece of the ancient ukai cormorant fishing tradition.
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Gifu.
Hida Beef (飛騨牛)
Premium A4–A5 wagyu from Hida-raised cattle. Exceptionally marbled, with a buttery, delicate flavour. Available as hoba miso, sukiyaki, sashimi, and teppanyaki.
Where to try: Suzuya and Mitsukubo in Takayama; Hida Beef Dining Bar A5; morning market nigiri stalls
Price: ¥500 (~$3.25) for a street nigiri; ¥3,800–¥15,000 (~$25–$97) for restaurant dishes
Keichan (鶏ちゃん)
Miso or soy-marinated chicken thigh, stir-fried on a hot plate with cabbage and vegetables. The signature dish of the Gujo and Gero areas.
Where to try: Keichan Nakamura and Kaede in Gujo City; also available at izakayas across the prefecture
Price: ¥1,200–¥1,600 (~$7.75–$10.30)
Ayu Sweetfish (鮎)
The Nagara River's ayu is celebrated across Japan. Eaten salt-grilled on skewers, simmered, or as the star of the ukai cormorant fishing dinner.
Where to try: Ukai dinner boats in Gifu City; grilled skewers at the morning market; izakayas in Gifu City
Price: ¥500 (~$3.25) grilled skewer; ¥8,000 (~$52) ukai dinner
Mitarashi Dango
Chewy rice dumplings skewered and glazed with a sweet-savoury soy sauce (mitarashi). Gifu's street food icon, especially at the base of Gifu Castle.
Where to try: Mitarashi Dango shop at Gifu Park base; Miyagawa morning market stalls in Takayama
Price: ¥200–¥300 (~$1.30–$1.95) per set
Hoba Miso (朴葉みそ)
Miso paste and toppings (Hida beef, vegetables, mushrooms) grilled tableside on a dried magnolia leaf, which imparts a subtle woodsy aroma.
Where to try: Suzuya, Mitsukubo, and most Hida cuisine restaurants in Takayama
Price: ¥1,400–¥4,500 (~$9–$29)
Takayama Ramen
A clear shoyu (soy sauce) broth with thin straight noodles — lighter and more delicate than Sapporo or Hakata ramen. Made with chicken and dried fish stock.
Where to try: Ebisu Honten and specialised ramen shops near Takayama Station
Price: ¥800–¥1,000 (~$5.15–$6.45)
Doburoku
Unfiltered fermented rice sake — cloudy, slightly fizzy, and sweet. Traditionally illegal for home production, it is licensed at specific shrines in Gifu. The Shirakawa-go Doburoku Festival (October) is the most famous tasting event.
Where to try: Doburoku no Ya in Shirakawa-go; Irori no Ie in Shirakawa-go
Price: ¥700–¥1,000 (~$4.50–$6.45) for a tasting
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Suzuya
Popular Hida beef / Japanese restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Hida beef sukiyaki and hoba miso
24 Hanakawa-cho, Takayama City, Gifu 506-0046
Le Midi
Popular French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Hida beef with French technique
45 Sannomachi, Takayama City, Gifu 506-0845
Ebisu Honten
Popular Takayama ramen (shoyu) restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Clear shoyu broth Takayama ramen
5-34 Tenshoji-machi, Takayama City, Gifu 506-0011
Ukai Dinner Boat (Nagara River)
Popular Japanese traditional / river fish restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Ayu sweetfish full-course dinner while watching cormorant fishing
136 Nagara, Gifu City, Gifu 502-0817
Irori no Ie
Popular Hida mountain cuisine restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Hearth-cooked mountain vegetables and doburoku sake
456-1 Ogimachi, Shirakawa, Ono District, Gifu 501-5627
Miyagawa Morning Market
Popular Street food / local produce restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Mitarashi dango, Hida beef nigiri, pickled vegetables
Along Miyagawa River, between Kajibashi and Yayoi-bashi bridges, Takayama City
Keichan Nakamura
Popular Gifu regional / keichan restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Keichan (miso-marinated chicken stir-fry on hot plate)
862 Hachiman-cho Tsubakidani, Gujo City, Gifu 501-4225
Soba Kichi
Popular Handmade buckwheat soba restaurant in Gifu.
Known for: Stone-ground buckwheat soba noodles
67 Renjaku-cho, Gifu City, Gifu 500-8812
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Japanese
Handmade Buckwheat Soba
Hida Mountain Cuisine
Street Food
French
Gifu
Gifu Regional
International
Regional Sake And Traditional Cuisine
Takayama Ramen
Teppanyaki
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Grilled Hida beef nigiri
A fatty slice of A5 Hida beef seared tableside and placed on sushi rice — the most popular street food in Takayama
Find it at: Morning market stalls, Takayama
Mitarashi dango
Soy-glazed chewy rice dumplings on bamboo skewers, served warm
Find it at: Gifu Park base shops; morning markets
Salt-grilled ayu skewer
Whole sweetfish grilled over charcoal on a curved skewer, sprinkled with coarse sea salt
Find it at: Riverside stalls near the ukai area, Gifu City; izakayas
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Miyagawa Morning Market (宮川朝市)
A 1.5km open-air riverside market along the Miyagawa River in Takayama. Over 50 stalls selling local produce, pickles, Hida crafts, and street food. Held daily 7:00–12:00.
Hours: 7:00–12:00 daily
Jinya-mae Morning Market (陣屋前朝市)
A smaller morning market outside the historic Takayama Jinya government house. Famous for Hida beef nigiri stalls. Held daily 7:00–12:00.
Hours: 7:00–12:00 daily
Gifu City Yanagase Market District
A covered arcade market area near Gifu Station with local produce, kitchen equipment, and specialty food shops. Open throughout the day.
Hours: 9:00–20:00 (most shops)
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Most restaurants in Takayama and rural Gifu do not accept credit cards — carry yen cash
Lunch sets (teishoku) at restaurants in Gifu typically cost ¥800–¥1,500 (~$5.15–$9.70) and include rice, miso soup, and side dishes — much better value than à la carte
Ryokan guests typically receive both breakfast and dinner included — factor this when comparing hotel versus ryokan costs
Vending machines throughout the prefecture sell hot and cold drinks; convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson) carry good quality onigiri and prepared meals from ¥200 (~$1.30)
Takayama restaurants are extremely busy during Golden Week (late April–early May) and autumn colour season (October–November) — expect queues of 30–60 minutes at popular spots
- Vegetarian
- Vegetarian options are limited at traditional restaurants. Buddhist temple cuisine (shojin ryori) is available at some ryokan. Mountain vegetable (sansai) dishes at Hida restaurants are often vegetarian. Convenience stores carry vegetarian onigiri and snacks.
- Vegan
- Vegan dining requires advance notice at most restaurants. Many Japanese dishes contain dashi (fish stock) which is invisible but non-vegan. The Happy Cow app (happycow.net) lists vegan-friendly options in Gifu City and Takayama.
- Gluten free
- Japanese soy sauce (shoyu) contains gluten. Tamari soy sauce is gluten-free and sometimes available on request. Soba can be 100% buckwheat (juwari soba) but is often mixed with wheat — confirm with the restaurant. Rice-based dishes are generally safe.
- Halal kosher
- Halal restaurants are extremely limited. Gifu City has a handful of halal options near the international community. Most convenience stores carry some halal-certifiable products. Kosher food is not available in the prefecture.
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ¥800–¥1,500 (~$5.15–$9.70)/meal | Ramen, soba, convenience store onigiri, morning market dango and skewers |
| Mid-range | ¥2,000–¥5,000 (~$12.90–$32.25)/meal | Restaurant hoba miso, keichan set meals, lunch teishoku at Hida restaurants |
| Upscale | ¥8,000–¥20,000+ (~$51.60–$129+)/meal | Full kaiseki multi-course meals at ryokan or fine-dining establishments; ukai dinner boats |