Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year! This tree in Gifu says both all at once - its decorations are traditional symbols of the new year, or shogatsu. I am a little late in wishing you these things, I know, but... not if you're Chinese. Today is Chinese New Year, so akemashite omedetto!

These lanterns were hanging on New Year's Eve in the approach to a shrine, in readiness for the midnight crowd that would come to make offerings and prayers, once the clock had ticked over into the new year. Unfortunately I didn't see such things as I was laid up with some serious internal shenanigans - faulty plumbing one might say. Anyway, I was fast asleep as the countdown took place. But the upside was that having had that rest I was able to haul my butt to Takayama with my friend Junko the next day...

But first, this is Gifu city as seen by the king of the castle. In this case, moi ...well, you, actually... you're looking at the photo. Japanese castles are small unlike their Western counterparts, but as the real estate dudes say: location, location, location! The highest point you see in the photo below is Gifu-jo, or Gifu Castle. It's an impressive spot. How they lugged up their provisions and things all the way to the top, I don't know!

Gifu city is famed for its cormorant fishing. It's not really the season for seeing an unfortunate bird dive for fish with a garotte around its neck to prevent ingestion, but you get the idea. It would be particularly good to watch at night when they dangle a big flaming big thing (or is it a flaming big thing?) off the end of the boat to attract the fish and then ...whammo! ...you're packaged in a bird's gullet waiting to become sashimi.

Another view from Gifu-jo.

Next stop is Takayama.