Thank you, Gifu Yanagase, a city I love so much

In the note I wrote yesterday about my 'me time,' I mentioned that I was actually planning to go to Noritake Garden, but changed my destination to Gifu instead.

I took the JR Tokaido Line to Gifu.
It's about a 20-minute ride from Nagoya to Gifu if you take the Special Rapid train.

This is sudden, but here is my 'Advent Calendar Challenge' 🎄

My Monchhichi plush toy was my treasure. ♡
When I lost it while playing, a friend of mine claimed it as her own, and I cried my eyes out. She told me, 'You can't even tell if it's your Monchhichi!' but I could. My name was written on the soles of its feet! 😂

The town that puts me at ease is the Gifu City Yanagase Shopping District.

I have moved many times throughout my life.
It feels like I have many hometowns, but Gifu is the place that truly puts me at ease.
The Yanagase Shopping District is where I feel like I've finally come home.

When I realized I couldn't go to Noritake Garden as I had planned for my solo trip,
I thought, 'That's it, I'll go to Gifu.'
(I wrote that like the 'That's it, let's go to Kyoto' campaign.)

Gifu Kogane Shrine, where I have prayed many times.

It is written as 'Kogane Jinja' and read as 'Kogane Jinja'.

The iconic golden torii gate was built in 1987 using special steel, standing 8 meters high and 8 meters wide.
I was in junior high school at the time, so I remember it well.

As the rust began to show, repainting work was carried out nine years ago in 2015,
and this is the torii gate that was repainted from dark brown to gold.

I can remember as if it were yesterday going to see this golden torii gate in 2015 with my then 15-year-old daughter and my father, who was still alive at the time.

In Gifu, the Nobunaga statue at JR Gifu Station is also gold, so I think they really like making things gold. I love a town like that.

Thinking back to my childhood, I have visited 'Kogane Jinja' countless times. Although I only come occasionally now, I still feel like I can breathe easier when I come here.

On this day, I expressed my gratitude for being able to come and made a declaration that I would visit more often from now on.

To a diner I used to frequent

I had lunch during my solo time at a restaurant I'm used to.
It's a restaurant called Mitsubachi Shokudo.

I went for the first time in a while (I recall it being three years), and I was relieved to find that nothing had changed.
To my surprise, the prices were the same and hadn't been raised.

There was one thing that had changed.
They were selling low-carb cakes.

Whether it was low-carb or not, I, the one eating it, didn't even care; it was a truly delicious cake♡

This shop and Kogane Shrine make me want to visit again.
A beautiful town. (Not a city, but a town)

I reaffirmed that this is an indispensable place in my life.
And I felt that there is a unique charm to coming here alone.

I would love to visit again💗