Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Chubu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu. Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendo. During the Sengoku period, many people referred to Gifu by saying, "control Gifu and you control Japan."
One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu Prefecture shares borders with seven other prefectures: Aichi, Fukui, Ishikawa, Mie, Nagano, Shiga and Toyama Prefectures. Japan's postal codes all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, giving further proof of its location in the center of Japan.
