{"schema_version":"v1","type":"trip_article","slug":"takayama-festival","locale":"en","canonical_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/trips/takayama-festival","updated_at":"2026-10-14T00:00:00+00:00","headline":"Takayama Festival 2027: spring Sanno Matsuri at Hie Shrine, 14–15 April, with floats and karakuri puppets","one_sentence_summary":"The Takayama Festival is two events in Takayama's old town, Gifu. The spring Sanno Matsuri is on 14–15 April (next in 2027), the autumn Hachiman Matsuri on 9–10 October. Neither has viewing seats.","facts":[{"label":"Dates","value":"Spring Sanno Matsuri 14–15 April 2026; autumn Hachiman Matsuri 9–10 October","source":"https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/harunotakayamamatsuri/","sourceLabel":"hidatakayama.or.jp"},{"label":"Location","value":"The old town of Hida-Takayama, Gifu Prefecture; the procession winds through narrow lanes and street corners","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival","sourceLabel":"en.wikipedia.org"},{"label":"Shrines","value":"The spring festival is the regular rite of Hie Shrine; the autumn festival belongs to Sakurayama Hachimangu, with different floats and routes","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival","sourceLabel":"en.wikipedia.org"},{"label":"Yatai floats","value":"Three-storey wooden floats in black lacquer and gold. All 23 were designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties in 1960, and some carry karakuri puppets","source":"https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/214529","sourceLabel":"Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan)"},{"label":"Night festival","value":"First night of each festival only: the floats are hung with about a hundred lanterns each and paraded through the old town, 18:00–20:30 on 14 April at the 2026 spring festival","source":"https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/harunotakayamamatsuri/","sourceLabel":"hidatakayama.or.jp"},{"label":"Getting there","value":"Most go by limited-express train from Nagoya, about two-plus hours; the old town can be explored on foot","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival","sourceLabel":"en.wikipedia.org"}],"city_tabs":{"takayama":{"title":"Gifu · Hida-Takayama","bullets":["About 12 minutes on foot from JR Takayama Station to the spring festival area around Hie Shrine and the Otabisho","No viewing seats: the karakuri shows and the night parade are standing only","Drones are banned during the festival, and smoking on the street is banned in the old town"],"source":"https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/akinotakayamamatsuri/","sourceLabel":"hidatakayama.or.jp"}},"faq":[{"q":"When is the 2027 spring Takayama Festival held?","a":"The spring Sanno Matsuri (Hie Shrine) is held on 14–15 April every year and the autumn Hachiman Matsuri (Sakurayama Hachimangu) on 9–10 October. Both 2026 festivals have taken place; the next is the spring festival on 14–15 April 2027.","sources":["https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/151/","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival"]},{"q":"What is the difference between the spring Sanno Matsuri and the autumn Hachiman Matsuri?","a":"The spring Sanno Matsuri is the regular rite of Hie Shrine, held in April; the autumn Hachiman Matsuri belongs to Sakurayama Hachimangu and is held in October. The two belong to different shrines and different seasons, and the floats brought out and the procession routes also differ.","sources":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival"]},{"q":"What should you look for on the Takayama floats?","a":"Each float is a three-storey wooden structure in black lacquer and gold. There are 12 for the spring festival and 11 for autumn, and all 23 were designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties in 1960. Only four still carry karakuri puppets (Sanbaso, Shakkyotai and Ryujintai in spring, Hoteitai in autumn); on Hoteitai two child figures leap from bar to bar and land on Hotei's shoulders.","sources":["https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R3-00665.html","https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E5%B1%B1%E7%A5%AD","https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/214529"]},{"q":"Where is the Takayama Festival held, and how do you get there?","a":"It takes place in the old town of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. Most people come by limited express from Nagoya, a ride of a little over two hours. From JR Takayama Station it is about a 12-minute walk to the spring festival area around Hie Shrine and the Otabisho, and the old town is small enough to cover on foot.","sources":["https://www.kankou-gifu.jp/event/detail_8488.html","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival"]},{"q":"How is the night festival different from the daytime procession?","a":"By day the floats are on display and the karakuri puppets perform. The yoi-matsuri takes place on the first night only, when the floats are hung with about a hundred lanterns each and paraded through the old town. It gets cold after dark, so bring a jacket if you are staying for it.","sources":["https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/harunotakayamamatsuri/","https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/akinotakayamamatsuri/"]},{"q":"Besides watching the floats, what else can you do during the day?","a":"Beyond the floats, the Sanmachi old streets and the Miyagawa morning market are both in the old town and within walking distance.","sources":["https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/"]}],"sources":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takayama_Festival","https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/","https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1809/","https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/151/","https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/214529","https://www.chichibuji.gr.jp/event/yomatsuri/","https://www.city.takayama.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/008/992/panfu.pdf","https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/harunotakayamamatsuri/","https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/akinotakayamamatsuri/","https://www.kankou-gifu.jp/event/detail_8488.html","https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/en/R3-00665.html","https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E5%B1%B1%E7%A5%AD"],"key_takeaways":[{"text":"The festival pairs the spring Sanno Matsuri (Hie Shrine) with the autumn Hachiman Matsuri (Sakurayama Hachimangu); with the Gion and Chichibu festivals it is one of Japan's three great float festivals.","date":"2026-04-14","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://www.chichibuji.gr.jp/event/yomatsuri/","source_label":"chichibuji.gr.jp"},{"text":"All 23 floats were designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties in 1960. They are three storeys tall, lacquered black and gold, and some carry string-worked karakuri puppets.","date":"2026-04-14","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/214529","source_label":"Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan)"},{"text":"The yoi-matsuri runs on the first night of each festival only, with the floats hung with lanterns and paraded through the old town. At the 2026 spring festival it ran 18:00–20:30 on 14 April.","date":"2026-04-14","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://www.hidatakayama.or.jp/harunotakayamamatsuri/","source_label":"hidatakayama.or.jp"}],"reading_outline":[{"id":"executive-summary","label":"Summary"},{"id":"city-routes","label":"Places and routes"},{"id":"rules","label":"Before you go"},{"id":"faq","label":"FAQ"},{"id":"sources","label":"Sources"}],"topic":{"chain":["trips","japan-festivals","takayama-festival"]},"status":"published","hero_image":{"src":"/hero/takayama-festival.webp","alt":"Takayama Festival 2027: spring Sanno Matsuri at Hie Shrine, 14–15 April, with floats and karakuri puppets"},"editorial":{"tagline":"Two karakuri children leap bar to bar and land on Hotei's shoulders","paragraphs":["The spring festival brings out 12 floats and the autumn festival 11. The spring Sanno Matsuri belongs to Hie Shrine in the south of the old town, and the Hachiman Matsuri on 9–10 October to Sakurayama Hachimangu in the north, each with its own floats and route.","Each float is a three-storey wooden structure in black lacquer and gold, covered in carved dragons, phoenixes and scrollwork and in metal fittings. Hida is mountainous with little farmland and has long been known for its carpenters, who were once summoned to build palaces and temples in the old capital. The Takayama floats come out of that tradition.","Only 4 of the 23 floats still carry karakuri puppets: Sanbaso, Shakkyotai and Ryujintai in spring, and Hoteitai in autumn. The puppeteers sit inside the float, each working one small part of the figure by rope, with no electricity or motors involved. On Hoteitai two child figures leap from bar to bar and finish standing on Hotei's shoulders; Ryujintai plays out a dragon god that a child has made drunk and sealed in a jar, and which wakes and dances in fury.","The yoi-matsuri takes place on the first night of each festival. In spring the route runs from the Jinya-mae crossing through Honmachi and Yasukawa-dori to Kamiichinomachi; in autumn from Oshinmachi through Shimoninomachi and Yasukawa-dori to Shimoichinomachi.","The old town still has rows of Edo-era wooden townhouses. On the night of the yoi-matsuri, the floats, hung with lanterns, are paraded between them."]},"guide":{"lede":"Plan around one night: the lantern-lit yoi-matsuri runs only on the first evening of each festival. Everything is watched standing, and in rain events are scaled back or cancelled with no makeup date.","sections":[{"heading":"Dates: spring Sanno Matsuri and autumn Hachiman Matsuri","body":"The Takayama Festival is **two separate festivals**, not one event held twice. The **spring Sanno Matsuri** is held every year on **14–15 April** as the annual rite of Hie Shrine, in the south of the old town, with 12 floats. The **autumn Hachiman Matsuri** is held every year on **9–10 October** as the annual rite of Sakurayama Hachimangu, in the north of the old town, with 11 floats.\n\nBoth 2026 festivals have taken place. The next is the spring festival on **14–15 April 2027**, and its detailed schedule has not been published yet. If there is a particular float you want to see, check which festival it belongs to."},{"heading":"Japan's three great float festivals","body":"The Sanno and Hachiman festivals together make up the Takayama Festival, counted with Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Chichibu Night Festival among **Japan's three great float festivals**. Takayama City's materials also call it one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals."},{"heading":"Getting there: Nagoya to Hida-Takayama","body":"The festival takes place in the **old town of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture**. In spring it centres on Hie Shrine and the Otabisho, about 12 minutes on foot from JR Takayama Station.\n\nMost people come by **limited express from Nagoya**, a ride of a little over two hours. If you drive, the old town is closed to traffic during the festival; at the 2026 spring festival there was a free temporary car park at Takumi-ga-oka with a free shuttle bus to the Takayama Civic Cultural Hall."},{"heading":"How to watch","body":"There are no viewing seats, and the official pages list no viewing fee. The karakuri shows and the night parade are watched standing, the organisers may close off viewing areas when they get too crowded, and bicycles and kick scooters are no use in the crowds. For the autumn festival the organisers warn about heatstroke while standing for the karakuri, and the spring night parade happens in the cold after dark. The daytime float displays can be seen while walking along the street, without holding one spot for long."},{"heading":"Planning: transport, where to stay and the night festival","body":"**Where to stay**: in or within walking distance of the old town, so you don't have to rush for a train after the night parade. Rooms for the two festival days are in high demand, so book once your dates are fixed.\n\n**By day**: the float displays start at 9:30 in spring and 9:00 in autumn. At the 2026 spring festival the karakuri shows ran at 10:00 and 14:00 on both days, about 50 minutes each.\n\n**At night**: the yoi-matsuri is on the first night only. If you stay in the old town, you can go back to your room for a warmer layer after the daytime displays and head out again."},{"heading":"What to look for on the floats","body":"The floats are best seen up close while they are parked on display, when you can walk round the carvings and metal fittings on the black-and-gold bodies. In spring they line up along Shinmeicho-dori and nearby streets, and in autumn along the approach to Sakurayama Hachimangu and in its grounds.\n\nSome floats carry **karakuri puppets** worked with strings. There are two karakuri shows a day: about 20 minutes each at the 2026 autumn festival and about 50 minutes in spring."},{"heading":"The yoi-matsuri: floats by lantern light","body":"The yoi-matsuri is held on the first night of each festival only: 14 April in spring and 9 October in autumn. Each float is hung with about a hundred lanterns and paraded through the old town.\n\nThe official viewing rules: stay off the roadway while the floats pass, and don't cross or follow the procession."},{"heading":"Crowds, weather and etiquette","body":"**Crowds**: the parades are concentrated in the old town's narrow streets, and the organisers may restrict access to viewing areas when they get too crowded.\n\n**Weather**: in rain the events are scaled back or cancelled and not rescheduled. April nights in Takayama are still cold, so bring a warm jacket if you plan to stay for the yoi-matsuri.\n\n**Etiquette**: the floats are Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties, so don't touch them. Drones are banned during the festival, smoking on the street is banned in the old town, and you should follow the security staff's directions."},{"heading":"The old town's Edo-era townhouses","body":"Takayama's old town keeps rows of Edo-era wooden townhouses, and the floats pass right between them. The Sanmachi old streets and the Miyagawa morning market are both within walking distance."}]},"kind":"festival","available_locales":["zh-TW","en","th","id"],"event_start_date":"2026-04-14","event_end_date":"2026-04-15","dates_estimated":false,"next_edition":{"start_date":"2027-04-14","end_date":"2027-04-15","estimated":false,"source":"https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/151/"},"offers":[{"id":"disc-2969","title":{"zh-TW":"JR 高山北陸地區周遊券（5日）","en":"JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass (5 days)","th":"JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass (5 วัน)","id":"JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass (5 hari)"},"merchant":"klook","utility":"transport","landing_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/go/takayama-festival?o=disc-2969&locale=en&src=data","checked_at":"2026-10-14"},{"id":"takayama-shirakawa-nagoya","title":{"zh-TW":"白川鄉＋飛驒高山一日遊（名古屋出發）","en":"Shirakawa-go & Takayama day tour from Nagoya","th":"ทัวร์วันเดียวชิราคาวาโกะและทาคายามะ (ออกจากนาโกย่า)","id":"Tur sehari Shirakawa-go & Takayama dari Nagoya"},"merchant":"klook","utility":"experience","landing_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/go/takayama-festival?o=takayama-shirakawa-nagoya&locale=en&src=data","checked_at":"2026-10-13"}]}