Spring water

Ogaki city

A well for each family!? A town known for spring water: Ogaki.

Take a gulp or two—the clear taste will awaken your senses. This faintly sweet spring water is from the city of Ogaki in Gifu Prefecture. You can find this famously pristine water at springs all over Ogaki, including the well at Kagano Hachiman Shrine, which was chosen as one of the most renowned 100 water sources of the Heisei era. In the early Showa period, there was one well for each household and the springs produced 600,000 tons of water per day. Ladles are placed next to the springs, so that everyone is free to taste the water. Of course, this clear fresh water won’t give you stomach trouble. It will just moisten your throat, parched from walking around town.

Springs are scattered all over Ogaki.

Spring water spots are scattered plentifully across the city of Ogaki. These include the followings: the famous Kasuga-no-miya waters of Kasuga Shrine which gush from 201m underground; the spring waters from Takaya Inari Shrine near Ogaki Station, one of the 20 symbolic spots selected by the city; the "Spring of Happiness" right next to the Ogaki Forum Hotel; and the Mizuki-no-Shinsui spring located in a corner of Mizuki-no-Sato on the grounds of Ogaki Women's College. Each of these springs is still used as a water source by local residents, and they offer a glimpse of the rich life of this city and its close connection with water.

Take a spring map with you when touring the waters from the Kiso Sansen rivers.

The delicious taste of Ogaki spring water is due to the subterranean flows of the nearby three rivers known collectively as the Kiso Sansen—the Kisogawa, Nagaragawa and Ibigawa rivers. The water flowing in these rivers has come down from the South Alps or Okumino, and has been filtered slowly over time. Walking maps indicating the springs in the city of Ogaki are available. It’s worth carrying a map around with you if you’re visiting Ogaki’s spring spots.