Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
English
French
German
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Spanish
Thai
The Takayama Festival (高山祭), also known as the Takayama Matsuri, is a biannual festival held in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is considered one of Japan’s most famous and beautiful festivals, attracting tourists from all over the world.
The festival is held twice a year, in the spring (April 14-15) and autumn (October 9-10), and features ornately decorated floats known as yatai, which are paraded through the streets of the city. The floats are adorned with intricate carvings, lacquer work, and metalwork, and are lit up with hundreds of lanterns at night, creating a stunning visual display.
During the festival, local residents wear traditional costumes and participate in various events and performances, including traditional Japanese music and dance, martial arts demonstrations, and tea ceremonies. The festival also features food stalls selling local specialties such as grilled Hida beef and sake.
One of the highlights of the Takayama Festival is the Takayama Yatai Kaikan, a museum that displays four of the yatai floats used in the festival. The museum is open year-round, allowing visitors to see the elaborate decorations and craftsmanship up close.
Getting there
By Train
From Tokyo:
- Take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya Station
- Transfer to the JR Limited Express Wideview Hida bound for Toyama
- Get off at Takayama Station
- Total journey time: About 4 hours 20 minutes
- Cost: Around 15,000 yen for a reserved seat
From Nagoya:
- Take the JR Limited Express Wideview Hida to Takayama Station
- Journey time: About 2.5 hours
- Cost: Around 6,340 yen
By Bus
From Takayama Station to Festival Venues
- Hie Shrine (Spring Festival): 25-minute walk
- Sakurayama Hachimangu (Fall Festival): 20-minute walk
Details
| Period | Location | |
| Sanno Festival | February 14-15 | Hie Shrine, Yasukawa Dori, Takayama Old Town |
| Hachiman Festival | October 9-10 | Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine, Yasukawa Dori, Takayama Old Town |
Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan
| Hours | March to November / 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM December, January and February / 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Admission | Adults: 1,000 yen High school students: 600 yen Elementary school and junior high school students: 500 yen |
| Phone | +81 577-32-5100 |
| Address | 178 Sakuramachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0858 |
| Official Website | http://www.hidahachimangu.jp/index.html |
