Hiking Mt. Kinka
Located at the heart of Gifu Prefecture, Mt. Kinka ( 金華山 ) , also called Kinkazan is famously known as the mountain where Gifu Castle stands. Mt. Kinka ( 金華山 ) Mt. Kinka Details Formerly called Mt. Inaba , Mount Kinka has a height of 1079 feet or 329 meters. Centuries ago, the mountain and its surrounding forests were protected as it served as a hunting ground for the Owari Clan who ruled the lands then. Today, the forest is already designated as a National Forest and is home to about 80 types of birds and 700 types of plants. Mt. Kinka - Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture Mt Kinka as seen from my room in Juhachiro (ryokan) A write up about Mt. Kinka won't be complete without including the castle at its peak. Originally called Inabayama Castle , the structure was built by the Nikaido Clan sometime between 1201 to 1204. It was captured by Oda Nobunaga in 1567 and was renamed Gifu Castle , likewise the mountain was also renamed Kinkazan or Mt. Kinka . Throughout history, t