Enjoy the Autumn Takayama Festival (Hachiman Festival), one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals

Autumn Takayama Festival

The Autumn Takayama Festival (Hachiman Festival) is the annual festival of Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine, held every year on October 9th and 10th. The Spring Takayama Festival (Sanno Festival) is the annual festival of Hie Shrine, held every year on April 14th and 15th. The Takayama Festival is the collective term for these two festivals, and is considered one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan.

The Takayama Festival, which is said to have originated in the late 16th to 17th century, is a collective term for two festivals, the Sanno Festival in the spring and the Hachiman Festival in the fall, and has been carefully preserved and passed down by the people of Takayama.
Among these, the Hachiman Festival, which paints Takayama in the colors of autumn, is the annual festival of Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine, the guardian deity of the northern half of the old Takayama castle town. Every year on October 9th and 10th, 11 floats appear on the north side of Yasukawa Street. You can enjoy traditional festival events such as the floats being pulled around the town and the dedication of Karakuri dolls on Hoteidai.

The festival originated during the time of the Kanamori clan, a feudal lord in Hida (1585 to 1692), and the floats are said to have been created around 1718. These floats display the skills of artisans, such as the Karakuri puppet offerings that showcase the skillful movements of puppets and the mechanism-filled return floats.
At the Autumn Takayama Festival, 11 "festival floats," also known as moving Yomeimon gates, are pulled together, showcasing their splendor and splendor. In addition, a festival procession of several hundred people dressed in traditional costumes, such as cockfighting musicians and kamishimo-sugata guards, goes around the festival area, led by music, gagaku music, and lion dancing. At night, each float lights up with about 100 lanterns, beautifully decorating the darkness. The Takayama Festival raises the spirits of the people of Hida. It is the unwavering pride of Takayama.

Divine Prayer

A large procession of several hundred people dressed in traditional costumes, including cockfighting musicians and kamishimo-sugata guards, parades through the town accompanied by music and gagaku. It departs from Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine in the afternoon of the 9th and parades through the town. It departs from Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine in the morning of the 10th, passes through the Otabisho shrine, and returns to Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine.

Pulling the float

The float parade held on the afternoon of the 9th is a rare event that can only be enjoyed at the Autumn Takayama Festival. You can see four floats parading around town. Of the four, Kaguradai and Houodai appear every year. The remaining two floats are rotated among the floats excluding Hoteidai.

Karakuri dolls with fascinating intricate movements

On the 9th and 10th, twice a day, a Karakuri performance will be held on the Hotei-dai in the grounds of Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine. The highlight of the performance is an ingenious trick where two Chinese dolls jump across a pole to Hotei, who then swings his fan. The performance is captivating, and you will not believe it is the work of rope.

Yoi Matsuri (Evening Festival)

Another charm of the Takayama Festival is the evening festival that begins on the evening of the 9th. The floats, each lit with about 100 lanterns, parade through the town, singing the traditional farewell song "Takai Yama" as they return to their respective storehouses. The flickering lights shine in the dark night, evoking the feeling of autumn.