Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, is located in the center of Japan. It is famous as a production center of Mino washi paper and as an urban area with Udatsu-lined streets.The production of washi paper requires good quality cold water and an abundance of raw materials. Mino washi has been made for 1,300 years, and the Nagara and Itadori Rivers that flow through the Mino area are of excellent water quality.
Udatsu" refers to "firewalls," and only the wealthy could afford to build such houses. The Mino area is lined with Udatsu-lined merchant houses built in the Edo period (1603-1867), and visitors can enjoy a stroll through the area as if stepping back in time. Don't miss the Kosaka Family Residence, a sake brewery designated as a national important cultural property, and the former Imai Family Residence, a city-designated cultural property.
Every year in October, the "Mino Washi Light Art Exhibition" is held, in which light art works made of Mino washi paper are displayed in the Udatsu-lined streets, allowing visitors to enjoy a fantastic time.
