One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu shares borders with seven other prefectures:
Toyama,
Ishikawa,
Fukui,
Shiga,
Mie,
Aichi, and
Nagano. Japan's
postal codes all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, reflecting its location in the center of Japan. The
center of Japanese population is currently located in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. The center of population is a hypothetical point at which a country is perfectly balanced assuming each person has a uniform weight. The spot was calculated using the 2005 census. 18 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as
Natural Parks, namely the
Hakusan and
Chūbu-Sangaku National Parks,
Hida-Kisogawa and
Ibi-Sekigahara-Yōrō Quasi-National Parks, and fifteen Prefectural Natural Parks.
Regions Gifu has five unofficial regions, which allows local municipalities to work together to promote the surrounding area. The five regions are
Seinō,
Gifu,
Chūnō,
Tōnō and
Hida. The borders of the regions are loosely defined, but they are usually delineated among major cities.
Topography The northern
Hida region is dominated by tall mountains, including parts of the
Japanese Alps. The southern
Mino region is mostly parts of the fertile
Nōbi Plain, a vast plains area with arable soil. Most of the prefecture's population lives in the southern part of the prefecture, near the
designated city of
Nagoya. The mountainous Hida region contains the
Hida Mountains, which are referred to as the "Northern Alps" in Japan. The
Ryōhaku Mountains are also in the Hida region. Other major ranges include the
Ibuki Mountains and the
Yōrō Mountains. Much of the Mino region is made up of the
alluvial plain of the
Kiso Three Rivers, which are the
Kiso River,
Nagara River and
Ibi River. The sources of Kiso river is in Nagano prefecture, and those of the others are in Gifu prefecture. They eventually run through Aichi and Mie prefectures before emptying into
Ise Bay. Other major rivers in the prefecture include the
Miya,
Takahara,
Shō,
Toki (Shōnai),
Yahagi, and
Itoshiro rivers.
Climate , Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture Gifu's climate varies from
humid subtropical climate in the south, eventually making the transition to
humid continental climate in the north. Because the Mino region is surrounded by low mountains, the temperature fluctuates through the year, from hot summers to cold winters. The eastern city of
Tajimi, for example, often records the hottest temperature in Japan each year and is considered to be the hottest city within Honshu boasting an average daytime high of during the peak of summer. On August 16, 2007, Tajimi set the record for the hottest day recorded in Japan's history—. Summers are hotter, as the landlocked area becomes a heat island, and the temperature rises even further when hot, dry
foehn winds blow over the Ibuki Mountains from the
Kansai region. The Hida region, with its higher elevation and northerly latitude, is significantly cooler than the Mino region, although there are sometimes extremely hot days there too. The Hida region is more famous for its harsh winters, bringing extremely heavy snowfall, especially in the northwestern areas. Gifu boasts a high amount of skiing locations.
Shōkawa-chō, part of the city of
Takayama, is up in the mountains, and its location has led it to be called the coldest inhabited place on Honshū. ==Municipalities==