Dear readers, it's been far too long! I apologize deeply for not keeping up with this blog over the past several months. At the same time, I am excited to let you know that the Gifu Crossroads blog has been completely redone and is bigger and better than ever!

With more to offer and a sleeker, more intuitive interface to manage, the new blog will hopefully become a great resource for all of you interested in Gifu and thinking about coming to visit! I hope you enjoy the new site and I ask that you please take a look and see what it's all about!

http://gifucrossroads.wordpress.com/

Thank you, and please continue to support Gifu Prefecture!!

 

At Gero Onsen, considered one of the three best hot springs in all of Japan, the rejuvenating hot spring water flows from the earth in abundance. People come from all over Japan and, indeed, all over the world in order to soak and cleanse themselves in what has been termed the "water of beauties." And for the people living in and around Gero-or even those coming from farther away-this water can even be enjoyed in the comfort of their own home!

Beginning in 1983, hot spring water has been offered to the general public at an extremely low price. For a mere 150 yen (around 1.95 USD) or 200 yen (around 2.60 USD), you can buy 200 liters or 300 liters, respectively, of the same hot spring water offered at all of the hotels in Gero! All you need is a membership (free) and a small truck with a plastic water tank installed in the rear, or something equivalent capable of transporting that amount of water. Within the city of Gero, there are a total of 1,000 members who have signed-up to collect their own hot spring water and an additional 200 members from outside the city. These people can come to the stand at any time of day between 9am and 9pm, and it is estimated that about 120 people do visit every day.

This is all thanks to the smart technology system that manages the dispersal of hot spring water to the hotels in the area, which has worked so efficiently since the mid-1970s that a lot of water used to be left-over unused. Instead of letting it go to waste, though, it was decided that this self-service system would be implemented, and ever since it has attracted attention from near and far.

Don't you wish you lived in/near Gero?!

"International exchange of soil and flame!"

This past weekend marked the beginning of the 9th International Ceramics Festival Mino, Japan, a festival spanning a month and a half that aims both to foster international cultural exchange through ceramics and pottery and to create an environment in which the industry can rise to even greater heights. The festival was first held in 1986, and has been held triennially ever since.

The heart of the festival is the "International Ceramics Competition Mino, Japan," which has become an internationally-recognized competition of the highest scale on-par with other such competitions in Italy, Korea, and Taiwan. This year, 2,777 entries by artists from 57 different countries have been accepted and judged, and a total of 190 have been granted Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Special Judges' Awards in various categories. These are all on display at the festival in one place, creating a fantastic setting in which one can see some of the greatest ceramic work from around the world as well as glimpsing some of the worldwide trends shared among artists across the globe.

In addition to this internationally-focused competition, there are many other events held throughout the duration of the festival that are centered around the local ceramic culture of Tono (東濃), the Eastern region of Gifu. The cities of Tajimi (where the competition is held), Mizunami, and Toki are at the center of the Mino Ceramic Ware (or Mino-yaki) industry, one of the oldest and most famous types of ceramics in all of Japan. Thought to originate in the 7th century, ceramics made in the old country of Mino have flourished for well over a thousand years, and even today remain the most-produced type of ceramics in the nation. A major purpose of the festival is therefore to increase awareness of Mino-yaki and the region in which it is created, and so many exhibits displaying local ware, contests in which the most attractive food-plating using Mino-yaki is judged, and the like have been established. The International Ceramics Festival held in Mino is thus a fantastic event to attend where you can appreciate the beauty of pottery from all around the world as well as the indigenous beauty and character of local Mino ceramic ware in the same place. Don't miss it!

Dates: September 16 - October 23

Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm (last entry at 5:30pm)

Venue: Ceramics Park MINO (International Ceramics Competition), Tajimi City, Mizunami City, Toki City

Admission Fee:
Adults: 1,000 yen (Advance Sale), 1,200 yen (Same Day)
Seniors: 800 yen (Advance Sale), 1,000 yen (Same Day)
Group Discount: 750 yen (Advance Sale), 950 yen (Same Day)
( > 20)
Passport: 2,500 yen (Advance Sale), 3,000 yen (Same Day)
( ^ unlimited admission throughout the duration of the festival)

Access (to Ceramics Park MINO):

Weekdays: JR Bus from JR Tajimi Train Station; get off at "Ceramics Park MINO, Museum of Modern Ceramic Art" stop
Weekend: Kikyou Bus from JR Tajimi Train Station

Contact: 0572-25-4111

Website: http://www.icfmino.com/english/top.html