One Fine Afternoon in Gifu Park

One fine afternoon, my family and I went to Gifu City to experience the fiery colors of Autumn. Our only intention was to the Gifu Park, but it turned out to be more than that. It was totally an exceptional experience to reckon. Sometimes, the best adventures are unplanned. We witnessed a traditional Japanese marriage, a very rare experience for a foreigner like me. 

This is a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony. It is called Shinzenshiki - wedding services held on shrine grounds led by a Shinto priest. 

It is rare these days for Japanese couple to get married in traditional Japanese ceremony. Seeing this beautiful ceremony taking place gave me a taste of the ancient culture of the Japanese people, and I consider it a privilege. 

The bride and groom are wearing traditional Japanese dress: the groom wears a Hakama bearing his family crest, while the bride wears a pure white kimono called shiromuku. 

The bride in this photo is wearing the traditional tsuno-kakushi. It's literal translation is 'a cover for horns' which is said to hide the bride's horns of jealousy. This headdress dates back to the 14th century Muromachi period where upper-class women used to cover their heads when outside the home. 

Guest with their colorful kimonos under a huge torii gate. 

These life-size dolls are embellished with chrysanthemums flowers. 

A display of different chrysanthemums. 

Mt. Kinka Ropeway takes you from Gifu Park to the top of Mt. Kinka in three minutes. At the east side of the park, there is a vermillion three storied pagoda standing among the trees on the mountainside. 

A view from the gondola carrying us to Mt. Kinka, the beautiful stream of Nagara River and the cityscape of Gifu. 

View from Mt. Kinka. Breathtaking!