Mino, Traditional paper making town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Mino is a city in south-central Gifu where two rivers, the Nagara and the Itadori, shape the landscape and daily life. The town sits in a hilly area with river valleys where houses, workshops, and shops are scattered among green slopes.
The city grew during the Edo period when Kanamori Nagachika received permission to build Oguriyama Castle on the Nagara River. From this stronghold, a settlement expanded that gradually made papermaking its main activity.
Mino's name reflects its deep connection to papermaking, a craft visible in how residents and artisans work and in what fills the local shops. The tradition shapes how people here think about their home and what they create with their hands.
Visitors can reach the city by train on the Nagaragawa Railway or by car via the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway, making it easy to arrive. Walking through the center is straightforward since most workshops and shops are located close together.
The Udatsu district preserves buildings from the early 1600s with distinctive steep roofs that once served as fire protection. These structures were designated as a conservation area for traditional buildings in 1999 and show the construction style from when the paper workshops thrived.
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