Takayama Festival: Spring and Autumn Floats in Hida Takayama

The night festival

On the evening of the first day, the floats are hung with lanterns, around a hundred each, and pulled slowly through the old streets. This is the yomatsuri, or night festival, and for many people it is the most memorable part of the visit. Warm light plays over the lacquer and carvings, the float music drifts along the dark lanes, and the wooden merchant houses make a perfect backdrop. At the end of the evening the floats return one by one to their storehouses.

By day there are also processions escorting the portable shrine through town. Hundreds of people in traditional dress walk the route, with lion dancers and musicians.

Getting there

The main approach is from Nagoya on the JR Limited Express Hida, about two and a half hours through the Hida River valley. A limited through service on the Hida also runs from Osaka and Kyoto. Highway buses link Takayama with Shinjuku in Tokyo, with Nagoya, and with Kanazawa via Shirakawa-go. Takayama is about an hour from Shirakawa-go by bus, so the two combine easily. From JR Takayama Station, the festival areas are an easy walk of about 10 to 15 minutes.

When to go and what to expect

The spring festival comes as the mountains are waking up. In some years the cherry blossoms along the Miyagawa River coincide with it, but evenings can be close to freezing, so bring a warm jacket for the night festival. The autumn festival has crisp, clear days and chilly nights. The autumn colours in town usually peak later, though the higher mountains nearby may already be turning.

Rain changes the programme. The floats are fragile, so in wet weather they stay in their storehouses and puppet performances may be cancelled. Build a spare day into your plans if you can.

Where to stay

Takayama's ryokan and hotels fill up very early for both festivals, often many months ahead. If the town is full, look at Gero Onsen to the south on the same railway line, or at Hirayu Onsen and the Okuhida hot-spring villages in the mountains to the east, which are served by bus. Nagoya works as a base for a long day trip, but check the time of the last train back before planning to stay for the night festival.

Practical tips

• Do not touch the floats or step inside the ropes. They are centuries-old, and teams need clear space to steer them.
• Wear warm, comfortable shoes. You will stand for long periods on stone streets.
• Visit the morning markets beside the Miyagawa River and in front of Takayama Jinya early, before the crowds.
• Old-town sake breweries hang a green cedar ball (sugidama) outside, and many offer tastings. Pace yourself if you plan to stay for the night festival.
• Try Hida beef, which you will find grilled on skewers from street stands or on hoba miso, a magnolia leaf over a small burner.

Beyond the festival

Takayama rewards an extra day. Walk the Sanmachi merchant streets and visit Takayama Jinya, the former government office of the region. The open-air Hida Folk Village has thatched farmhouses moved from around the region. From Takayama you can also head into the Northern Alps via the Shinhotaka Ropeway, or on to the gassho-zukuri farmhouses of Shirakawa-go.

Plan your trip

Decide on spring or autumn first, then book your room, then your train or bus. For dates, float lists, karakuri schedules and viewing spots, see our Takayama Festival guide. Groups travelling together can find ideas for a road route in our Nagoya, Takayama and Shirakawa-go itinerary.