Gold Statue of Nobunaga Oda

The Golden Statue of Nobunaga was installed to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Gifu City’s municipal establishment, by an association called “The Group to Present a Statue of Lord Nobunaga.” You can meet it just after exiting the JR Gifu Station ticket gates and heading to the north side (the Gifu Castle side). It is positioned facing the station’s central exit, with the intention of welcoming many visitors to Gifu. Covered in three layers of gold leaf, the statue depicts Nobunaga wearing a cape, holding a Western-style helmet in one hand and a matchlock gun in the other. Including the pedestal, it stands about 11 m tall, with Nobunaga himself about 3 m in height. Nobunaga is known as the “namer” who gave the region—formerly called “Inokuchi”—the new name “Gifu.” As Gifu became his base, he expanded power toward “Tenka Fubu” and also contributed to local development through new policies such as rakuichi-rakuza (free markets). This statue, donated in recognition of those achievements, is now beloved as a symbol of Gifu City. While there are Nobunaga statues in many parts of Japan, Gifu’s is the only one that is golden.