Overview of Iwamura Town

The castle town of Iwamura, in Ena City, Gifu Prefecture, lies below the ruins of one of Japan’s 100 Greatest Castles and one of Japan’s three great mountain castles, Iwamura Castle.

Iwamura’s history stretches back over 800 years. Because of its old samurai era preserved townscape and particularly high historical and cultural value, it has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, the third such designation in Gifu Prefecture following Sanmachi in Takayama, and Ogimachi in Shirakawa Village.
The old townscape runs along a 1.3 km main street, and while some 5,400 people live in Iwamura-cho, about 700 people still live in the old, traditional parts of town.

　

Mountainous Iwamura has a cooler inland climate with summer showers, and little snowfall in the winter. Approximately 70% of the mountainous area is covered by majestic forests, and is rich in nature, with fireflies appearing over the clear streams in summer. Iwamura’s rural landscape, with its beautiful rice fields spreading out over the countryside is dotted with traditional farming homes and white walled storehouses. The area is recognized as Japan’s Best Rural Landscape.