Gifu Prefecture is one of the 47 prefectures in Japan. It is located in the exact center of Japan—400 km from Tokyo. Therefore, its nickname is “the heart of Japan”. You can get to Gifu with the fast Shinkansen Nozomi train in 2 hours—it will be necessary to change trains in the city of Nagoya. By bus it will take you 6 hrs. and 30 minutes and by air from Tokyo two hours with a stop in Nagoya. Gifu is the birthplace of Nagano river and its affluents:  the Kiso, Nagara and Ibi. It also houses the Usuzumizakura Cherry Tree, said to be 1,500 years old and a protected tree in Japan. Sword making and Cormorant fishing come to the mind of any Japanese when they hear of Gifu prefecture. But the area offers the visitor a lot more than that! The city of Takayama and its festival (which you will see in video later) also called “the small Kyoto” is an ancient pearl not yet discovered by crowds of tourists. The Yoro Falls in Yoro town (30 meters heigh, Gero Spa which dates back to 1000 years and its waters is effective to cure skin problems and digestive disorders as well as being good for beauty care are additional attractions of the area.