If you’ve ever been to Takayama, you’ve probably heard about Takayama Festival and all the hype surrounding it.
That’s exactly what happened to us on our first visit to Takayama.
So when we were back in Japan during spring, we went out of our way to experience the Takayama Spring Festival firsthand, and it was incredible.
But after attending the festival, we realized that it can feel a bit overwhelming with everything happening at once. So we created this guide to share exactly what to expect and how to make the most of your visit to Takayama Festival.
Takayama Festival Attractions
So, what is Takayama Festival anyway?
The festival can be thought of as a series of four main events throughout the day:
- Gathering of the Yatai
- Karakuri Marionette Performance
- Procession
- Night Festival
Here’s what you can expect from each of these events in Takayama Festival:
Gathering of the Yatai Floats
The Yatai (floats) are in my opinion the highlight of Takayama Festival.
During the festival, the floats are brought out of their storehouses and pulled around town by locals wearing Edo-period attire. The Yatai parade through Takayama’s streets before gathering in specific spots, just as they have done for centuries.
The floats embody traditional Japanese craftsmanship. They are composed of a wooden structure with elaborate carvings, regal drapes, carved details, all enhanced by hanging ornaments.
Each yatai represents a different aspect of Japanese mythology. Some of the floats are equipped with karakuri puppets — mechanical dolls that move around and perform stories.
Karakuri (Marionette) Performance
The karakuri ningyo (mechanical puppet) performances take place twice a day at Hie Otabisho during the Spring Festival and at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine during the Autumn Festival.
The puppet performances carry symbolic meaning rooted in Japanese folklore and mythology.
For example, the Shakkyotai float in the Spring Festival enacts a dance symbolizing strength and protection, while the Hoteitai float in the Autumn Festival performs a dance representing happiness and good fortune.
The puppets are controlled by teams of operators using a complex system of ropes, pulleys, and levers. It’s really interesting how detailed movements are created by the mechanical puppets.
Procession
The Procession is one of the most important parts of both the Spring and Autumn Festivals.
During the procession, a Mikoshi (portable shrine) parades through Takayama’s old town.
The Mikoshi is accompanied by musicians, lion dancers, and marchers. Drummers bang on gongs, while escorts dressed in ceremonial samurai clothing keep a watchful eye on the procession. This ritual is believed to purify the streets and ward off evil spirits.
The procession can be tricky to follow since it winds through different parts of town. We found it difficult to keep up with and nearly missed it ourselves.
To help you keep track of the procession, here are links to route maps for both the Spring and Autumn Takayama Festivals:
Night Festival
As the sun sets, the Yatai floats are illuminated by dozens of paper lanterns as they parade through the streets.
The Yatai are already spectacular in daylight, but at night, they transform the town into a scene from a movie as they glide through town while glowing softly.
Many of the performers from the daytime procession also take part in the Night Festival.
It’s really a culmination of the events from throughout the day, and everyone in the town turns out to watch the floats glow as they go by in the night.
The night festival only takes place on the first evening of each festival — April 14 for the Spring Festival and October 9 for the Autumn Festival.
Takayama Festival Schedule
Takayama Festival is held twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. Both festivals follow a similar structure but with slight differences in events and locations.
Each festival spans two days and is packed with parades, performances, and rituals that showcase centuries-old traditions.
Takayama Festival dates are the same every year:
- Spring Festival: April 14 & 15 (centered around Hie Shrine)
- Autumn Festival: October 9 & 10 (centered around Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine)
The daily schedule is also fairly consistent from year to year. Below are the official schedules for the 2024 Takayama Spring and Autumn Festivals to give you an idea of what to expect:
Takayama Spring Festival Schedule
April 14
- 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM: Gathering of the Yatai floats
- Seven floats on Shinmei-cho Street
- Four floats near Nakabashi Red Bridge
- 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM: Karakuri Marionette Performance at Otabisho near the Nakabashi Red Bridge
- 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Gojyunko Procession – A procession with hundreds of townspeople wearing various traditional custume with traditional music and lion dancing.
- 2:00 PM–2:50 PM: Karakuri Marionette Performance at Otabisho near the Nakabashi Red Bridge
- 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Night Festival – Eleven Yatai floats are paraded through the streets.
- 9:00 PM: Floats are returned to their storehouses
April 15
- 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM: Gathering of the Yatai floats
- Two floats on San-machi Street
- Three floats on Kami-ichinomachi Street
- Two floats on Kami-ninomachi Street
- 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM: Karakuri Marionettee Performance at Otabisho near the Nakabashi Red Bridge
- 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Gojyunko Procession – A procession with hundreds of townspeople donning various traditional custume with traditional music and lion dancing.
- 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM: Karakuri Marionette Performance at Otabisho near the Nakabashi Red Bridge
- 4:00 PM: Floats are returned to their storehouses
Takayama Autumn Festival Schedule
October 9
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM: Floats Exhibition
- One float at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
- Ten floats on Omotesando Street
- 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM: Marionette Performance at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
- 1:20 PM – 3:30 PM: Procession with traditional costumes, music and performance.
- 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Four floats parade
- 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM: Marionette Performance at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
- 6:15 PM – 8:30 PM: Night Festival – Illuminated float parade
- 8:30 PM: The floats return to their storehouses.
October 10
- 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Floats Exhibition
- One float at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
- Ten floats on Omotesando Street
- 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Procession with traditional costumes, music and performance.
- 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM: Marionette Performance at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
- 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM: Marionette Performance at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
- 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Procession with traditional costumes, music and performance.
- 4:00 PM: The floats return to their storehouses.
How to Make the Most of Your Time at Takayama Festival
Fortunately, the events of Takayama festival are all spaced out so you can attend all of them. However, there are some that I would prioritize over others.
First of all, any time the Yatai are moving is worth watching. In my opinion, the Yatai are the most fascinating aspect of Takayama Festival. So I think it’s worth it to watch them move throughout town any chance you get.
If you’re into photography, be sure to take a look at the route maps for the Yatai and scout possible locations for photo ops. For example, the Yatai pass over the iconic red Nakabashi Bridge during the Spring Festival, which makes for a classic photo. I missed this opportunity because I didn’t research it ahead of time. Don’t be like me.
The Karakuri (Marionette) Performance is also very neat to watch, but it attracts a huge crowd. I advise you to get there early if you want to get a good spot.
Some streets close down and there are lots of pedestrian traffic controls put into place around the marionette performance area. Get there early to avoid all of that.
While the Procession is an important spiritual aspect of Takayama Festival, in my opinion its not necessary to follow as it marches around town. My advice is to go early and claim a spot that’s along the procession’s route, then watch it pass by to see what it’s all about. The Procession lasts quite a long time and goes all over town, so it’s tiresome to follow around (don’t ask me how I know).
The night festival is a must-see. It’s really a grand finale of sorts (even though its on the first day of the festival). You’ll find the streets packed along the night festival’s route so get there a bit early to claim a spot.
Takayama Festival: Our Experience
During our trip around Japan in April, we made it a priority to visit Takayama for its Spring Festival. Having been to Takayama twice before, we understood the significance of this event. Luckily, we didn’t need to book a hotel, as we chose to sleep in our camper van parked in a nearby park.
On the first day of Takayama festival, we walked down into town to see the floats emerge from their storehouses.
The storehouses are scattered throughout the town, hidden behind large wooden doors. If you’ve been to Takayama before, there’s a good chance that you’ve walked by a few of these storehouses without even noticing them. I know we did.
There was a ton of excitement in the air as the Yatai began to parade through the streets. As I caught my first sight of one of the Yatai, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I had seen some of the autumn festival’s Yatai at the float hall, through a glass window. But seeing them moving through the town outside under a sunny sky with nothing separating us was a new experience.
I found it fascinating how the floats moved through the town. They are massive and sit on large wooden wheels. But I never considered how the Yatai are supposed to turn through the narrow streets of Takayama.
It turns out that there is a mechanical device hidden within the float. The device activates a smaller wheel that allows the float to turn left and right.
One of the float operators used a giant gear to activate the turning wheel, which I got to see firsthand. It’s fascinating how these floats operate in the same way as they have for hundreds of years.
If there’s one thing I noticed about this festival it’s how much of a community event it is.
All sorts of people, from young children to elders were participating in some way.
After the Gathering of the Yatai, it was time for the marionette performance to start.
Three floats lined up on the road in front of the Hie Otabisho, near Takayama Jinya. High above the crowds, three little puppets took their places on the front of the floats.
As the music played, the marionettes moved and danced as an interpretation of a story. The crazy part about watching these marionettes was their precise movements. Multiple people were inside each float, controlling the dolls.
After the marionette performance, things calmed down slightly around town. We took that as an opportunity to go grab some lunch. But we kept an eye on the time because we didn’t want to miss the next event.
After lunch, we made our way to the Hie Shrine to watch the procession. The procession is an important spiritual aspect of Takayama Festival.
A Mikoshi (portable shrine) representing a deity was brought from the Hie Shrine to the Domae Shrine. As the Mikoshi moved through the town, a parade of a few hundred people accompanied it while musicians and lion dancers cleansed the streets of bad spirits.
Growing up in Hawaii, I’ve seen plenty of lion dances but this one was part of a much larger picture as its purpose was to rid the streets of bad spirits to protect the Mikoshi.
Things around Takayama calmed down throughout the afternoon, with the anticipation and build-up to the night festival. We gathered on Honmachi Street, eagerly waiting for the Night Festival’s start.
As the sun began to set, the Yatai started down the street, with glowing lanterns hanging all around them. Accompanying the Yatai were many of the same performers from the procession such as the musicians and lion dancers.
It felt like a culmination of the entire day’s events, as the entire town came outside and gathered on the streets’ sidewalks to witness the spectacle.
Takayama Spring versus Autumn Festival: What’s the Difference?
Takayama Festival is held twice a year, once in spring (April 14–15) and once in autumn (October 9–10).
Both festivals are very similar on the surface. They both have Yatai floats, Mikoshi processions, and nighttime parades. However, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find some differences.
For starters, the Spring Festival is centered around the Hie Shrine, while the Autumn Festival is centered around the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine. The locations of these shrines mean that the events of the Spring Festival mainly occur around the southern part of Takayama, while the Autumn Festival is mainly around the northern part.
The weather during both Spring and Autumn Festivals is pleasant, with cool and comfortable daytime temperatures.
The Spring Festival happens squarely right in Takayama’s cherry blossom season, so there’s a good chance the entire town will be blooming with pink flowers during the Spring Festival.
In contrast, the date of the Autumn Festival is a bit too early to see the colorful autumn foliage that Japan is known for. You might see some leaves starting to change, but fall foliage won’t be in full swing yet.
The Yatai for the Spring and Autumn festivals are also completely different. Each festival has a unique set of Yatai. The Spring festival has 12 Yatai, while the Autumn festival has 11.
Takayama Festival Official Links
Brochures and maps for the Takayama Festival are somewhat scattered, so I linked them all below to help you out:
- Takayama Spring Festival General Information Brochure
- Takayama Spring Festival Night Festival Route
- Takayama Spring Festival Procession Route
- Takayama Autumn Festival General Information Brochure
- Takayama Autumn Festival Night Festival Route
- Takayama Autumn Festival Procession Route
Where to Stay in Takayama
We stayed at both a traditional Ryokan and a Western-style hotel during our visits to Takayama. Both were exceptionally wonderful, super clean, and comfortable.
Here are the places we stayed at in Takayama and our recommendations:
- Hostel Murasaki – Japanese-style ryokan: Staying in this ryokan gives you that traditional feeling like you’re in old Japan. It is also budget-friendly. The ryokan has a shared kitchen so you can cook your food and a large living room to meet other travelers.
- Hotel Wing – Western-style hotel: This hotel is a new and modern accommodation. The rooms are clean and comfortable, but a bit on the smaller side, which is normal for Japan. The lounge area in the hotel’s lobby opens up in the afternoon, so you’re free to sit and work there and enjoy free drinks.
Our Free Takayana Google Maps Locations
Do you need a handy map with all our Takayama locations? We’ve got a Google Map with all the Takayama locations in this post (plus a LOT more). Sign up in the box below and we’ll deliver it right to your inbox, plus our top tips to help you plan your Takayama adventure.
Are You Following Our Takayama Blog Series?
We’ve been to Takayama three times and found so many awesome things to do there. To help you plan your trip to Takayama, we’ve put together guides to the best places we found. You can check them out by clicking the links below.
- Our Ultimate Guide to Takayama: 14 Awesome Things to Do in Takayama
- How to plan your trip to Takayama: Takayama 2 Day Itinerary
- We attended Takayama Spring Festival and put together a guide to help you navigate the crowds: Takayama Festival: Our Complete Guide
- Our favorite hike in Takayama: Higashiyama Walking Course
I hope you enjoyed our guide to Takayama Festival! Feel free to write a comment below if you have any questions 🐸
