Mino Day Trip: Washi Paper, the Udatsu Townscape and How to Get There
Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-18
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Mino is a small city in central Gifu Prefecture with two big reasons to visit: Mino washi, a Japanese handmade paper that people here have been making for about 1,300 years (Mino City), and an old merchant quarter lined with distinctive udatsu firewalls. One form of the paper, Honminoshi, is listed by Mino City as both a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and a nationally designated Important Intangible Cultural Property (Mino City).
This guide covers how to get to Mino from Nagoya or Gifu City, what to see in the old town, how to book a papermaking session, and when the washi lantern exhibition is on.
Getting to Mino from Nagoya
The simplest public transport option is the Gifu Bus Nagoya–Seki–Mino highway bus (名古屋関美濃線) from the Meitetsu Bus Center in central Nagoya (Sakae is also a stop).
- Get off at: Chuno Chosha (中濃庁舎), the Mino stop on this line
- Fare: ¥1,400 one way for adults from Meitetsu Bus Center or Sakae to Chuno Chosha; children pay half (Gifu Bus, as of October 2026)
- Travel time: about 1 hour 34 minutes, according to Gifu Bus (Gifu Bus, as of October 2026). Gifu Prefecture's tourism site gives a range of 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes (Gifu tourism, as of October 2026)
- Booking: reservations aren't taken. Seats are limited to the seating capacity, so if the bus is full you can't board (Gifu Bus, as of October 2026)
- Payment: pay on board. Transit IC cards are accepted (Gifu Bus, as of October 2026)
Not every bus stops at every stop. Departure times are in the timetable PDF on the Gifu Bus route page, so check it, and plan your bus back, before you leave Nagoya. Allow time to get from the Chuno Chosha stop to the old town too.
The same line stops at Seki City Terminal (¥1,200 from Nagoya, as of October 2026, per Gifu Bus). That makes it easy to visit Seki and Mino on the same trip. More on that below.
Getting to Mino from Gifu City
Gifu Prefecture's official tourism site lists two public transport routes from Gifu City (Gifu tourism, as of October 2026), but the bus option has since changed:
- By bus (changed): the Gifu Bus Gifu–Mino Line (岐阜美濃線) that the tourism site still lists was renamed and cut back from April 1, 2025, and now runs only a short Seki–Mino section with one round trip on weekdays (Gifu Bus notice, as of October 2026). Don't plan around it.
- By train: take the JR Takayama Line from JR Gifu Station to Mino-Ota Station, then change to the Nagaragawa Railway for Mino-shi Station. The trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.
From Mino-shi Station, the old town is about a 10-minute walk away (Visit Gifu).
The udatsu townscape
Udatsu are raised firewalls built at the ends of a roof to stop fire spreading from one house to the next. Only well-off households could afford them, and the walls gave rise to several Japanese idioms about getting ahead in life (Visit Gifu).
In the Edo period (1603–1868), Mino did well out of the washi trade, and its merchants built houses wall to wall along the streets during the Edo and Meiji (1868–1912) periods. So many udatsu houses in one place is rare in Japan, and the national government has designated the area a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (Visit Gifu). The district is free to walk around. Parking for regular cars is ¥100 as a "cooperation fee" (Visit Gifu, as of October 2026).
Two places in the old town charge admission.
Former Imai Residence and Mino History Museum
This was the home of a washi wholesaler who was also the village headman. It was built in the mid-Edo period and expanded in the early Meiji era. The garden has a suikinkutsu (water chime) listed among Japan's 100 Soundscapes (Gifu tourism). According to Mino City, every shoji screen in the house uses Honminoshi paper (Mino City).
- Hours: 9:00–16:30 from April to September (last entry 16:15); 9:00–16:00 from October to March (last entry 15:45)
- Closed: the day after national holidays and over the New Year. From December to February it's also closed on Tuesdays (on the next day if the Tuesday is a holiday)
- Admission: ¥300 for adults (high school age and up)
(Gifu tourism, as of October 2026)
Mino Washi Akari Art Gallery
Upstairs, this gallery recreates prize-winning works from the autumn lantern exhibition. Downstairs there's a free rest area and a shop. The two-story wooden building dates from around 1941 and is a registered tangible cultural property (Mino Tourism Association).
- Hours: 9:00–16:30 from April to September (last entry 16:15); 9:00–16:00 from October to March (last entry 15:45)
- Closed: Tuesdays (on the next day if the Tuesday is a holiday), the day after public holidays, and December 29 to January 3
- Admission: ¥200 for adults (high school age and up)
(Mino Tourism Association, as of October 2026)
Combined tickets: ¥400 covers the Imai Residence and the Akari Art Gallery. ¥800 adds the Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan (Mino Tourism Association, as of October 2026).
Make your own washi at Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan
The Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan (Mino Washi Paper Museum) is a museum about the paper, with a shop and a hands-on papermaking studio. It sits in the Warabi area of the city, not in the old town (Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan).
Museum basics (Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan, as of October 2026):
- Hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed: every Tuesday and the day after a national holiday. If a holiday falls on a Tuesday, it closes the next day. If the day after a holiday is a Saturday or Sunday, it's open. The Mino Tourism Association also lists December 29 to January 3 as closed (Mino Tourism Association)
- Admission: ¥500 for adults, ¥250 for elementary and junior high students
Papermaking experience (Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan, as of October 2026):
- Basic courses, held daily, ¥500 each on top of admission: make one sheet of about 33 × 45 cm in the traditional Minohan size or in a decorative style, or make six postcards
- Sessions: 30 minutes, up to 15 people per slot. Slots run from 9:10 to 16:50. Arrive 10 minutes early for the briefing
- Booking: individuals need to book. Same-day places are sometimes available, so phone the museum to ask (0575-34-8111)
- Bring: a hand towel. A disposable waterproof apron is provided
- Longer courses: a one-hour course on Saturdays (¥800) and a one-day course on weekdays (¥3,000) both need booking at least five days ahead. The one-day course isn't held from mid-September to the end of the year
Getting there: the museum's own access page says to take the "Noriai-kun" shared taxi from Mino-shi Station, which takes about 20 minutes. You must book it by phone (0575-33-1231) or online (Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan). Mino City says anyone can use it, including visitors. It runs every day, and a standard adult ride costs ¥300, though some trips count as two rides. Bookings open one week ahead (Mino City, as of October 2026). Because it picks up other passengers on the way, allow extra time.
Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition
Every October, Mino hosts the Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition: washi lantern artworks lit up along the udatsu streets (official site).
The 33rd exhibition in 2026 runs in two parts: October 11 to October 23 and October 24 to November 30, 2026. The lanterns are lit from 17:00 to 21:00 and entry is free (Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition, as of October 2026). The official site doesn't yet list dates for 2027. It says only that the exhibition is held every October, so check closer to the time.
If you visit during the exhibition, you'll be in Mino after dark. Check the time of the last bus back to Nagoya or Gifu before you go.
Tips for your day
- Avoid Tuesdays. The washi museum and the Akari Art Gallery close every Tuesday, and so does the Imai Residence in winter. All three also close the day after a national holiday.
- Book papermaking first, then plan your buses around your slot.
- Old town or museum first? They're in different parts of the city. Go to the museum in the morning and spend the afternoon in the old town, or do it the other way round if you're staying for the lanterns.
- Winter hours are shorter. From October to March, last entry at the Imai Residence and the Akari Art Gallery is 15:45.
- Find activities and transport passes for your trip on Klook.
Combine Mino with Seki
Seki is on the same Nagoya–Seki–Mino highway bus line and is famous for its blades. You could visit Seki in the morning and Mino in the afternoon, or the other way round. Our Seki knife guide covers what to see there.
For more ideas for day trips into Gifu, see our Nagoya day trips hub. If you're planning several trips, you can also browse tours and passes on Klook.
FAQ
How do I get to Mino from Nagoya?
Take the Gifu Bus Nagoya–Seki–Mino highway bus from the Meitetsu Bus Center or Sakae to Chuno Chosha, which costs ¥1,400 one way for adults and takes about 1 hour 34 minutes (Gifu Bus, as of October 2026). Reservations aren't taken, and you pay on board.
How do I get to Mino from Gifu Station?
Take the train: the JR Takayama Line to Mino-Ota Station and then the Nagaragawa Railway to Mino-shi Station takes about 1 hour 10 minutes (Gifu tourism, as of October 2026).
Can I make my own washi paper in Mino?
Yes. Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan holds basic papermaking courses daily for ¥500 each on top of admission, in 30-minute sessions of up to 15 people, and individuals need to book (Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan, as of October 2026). Admission is ¥500 for adults (Mino Washi no Sato Kaikan, as of October 2026).
When is the Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition in 2026?
The 33rd exhibition runs from October 11 to October 23 and from October 24 to November 30, 2026. The lanterns are lit from 17:00 to 21:00 and entry is free (Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition, as of October 2026).
Which day should I avoid for a Mino day trip?
Avoid Tuesdays: the washi museum and the Akari Art Gallery close every Tuesday, and so does the Imai Residence in winter. All three also close the day after a national holiday.
Prices, hours and schedules change. Check official sources before you go. Facts last checked: 2026-10-18.
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