Ultimate Guide to Takayama Matsuri 2024: Dates, Highlights, and More!

Takayama Matsuri is held over two days each in spring and autumn in the old town of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. It’s said to be one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals — alongside Kyoto’s famed Gion Matsuri and the Chichibu Yomatsuri.

The Spring Festival is held in April at Hie Shrine in the southern half of Takayama’s old town, while the Autumn Festival is held in October at Hachiman Shrine in the northern half of the old town. The spring and autumn festivals have similar attractions and schedules, with about a dozen elaborate tall festival floats.

Hundreds of thousands of people from Japan and worldwide come to see Takayama Matsuri. The surrounding mountains provide a stunning backdrop to the festivities, particularly in autumn as the leaves change color. The town is often considered Gifu’s crown jewel because of its scenic alpine countryside — an excellent base to explore the Japan Alps — and its immaculately preserved traditional architecture. The festival is a visual spectacle, with some of the finest colorful, ornate festivals floating around. Nighttime is a particularly special time when the floats are lit up by hundreds of lanterns and tour around the old town.

If you’re coming to Takayama from Tokyo, take the Shinkansen to Nagoya and then transfer to the JR limited express train to get to Takayama Station — a journey of about four and a half hours total. There’s also the option of a highway bus from Tokyo that will take you slightly longer — around five and a half hours — but doesn’t require any transfers to your final destination.

Once you’re in Takayama Station, you can easily walk to the old town, which has most of Takayama’s attractions.

Takayama Matsuri is said to have begun sometime between the 16th and 17th centuries and has been celebrated for around 400 years. While the springtime festival is centered around prayers for a good harvest, the autumn festival is held as locals give thanks after their crop harvest and begin their preparations for a long and cold winter.

The spring Takayama Matsuri, also called Sanno Matsuri, takes place around Hie Shrine, while the autumn Takayama Matsuri festivities occur around Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine and is alternatively called Hachiman Matsuri. Throughout the two days, the focus of the matsuri are the yatai — the large ornate festival floats that are displayed on the streets of the town. These floats are often compared to the craftsmanship of the Yomeimon Gate at Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine because they are intricate and beautiful. The 11–12 yatai involved in the festival are designated as Significant Intangible Folk Cultural Assets in Japan. Each of them was created by master artisans, who constructed these floats back in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Some of these floats also contain karakuri ningyo, large mechanical dolls that move and dance. Karakuri doll performances are conducted on both days of the festival, drawing in many spectators for the show. These dolls are carved from wood and dressed in silk and embroidered cloth, controlled from within the yatai float with strings and push rods. The dances are accompanied by traditional Japanese music, setting a festive mood for those watching.

During the parade procession, there’s also a mikoshi — a portable shrine — that’s carried around by festival participants. When the procession begins at the shrine, a ceremony is conducted to transfer the shrine’s deity into the mikoshi. In fact, the festival is the only time of the year when this deity leaves the shrine to be brought around the town. At the end of the procession, the deity is safely returned to the shrine.

And come evening time, you’ll see a hundred paper lanterns on each yatai light up the town as they’re pulled around the streets for a couple of hours. As with any matsuri, you’ll find lively food and game stands aplenty around the festivities.

There are several differences between the spring and autumn festivals, such as the venue and the number of yatai. However, a distinct difference is that the autumn version features a yatai parade, where four of the yatai parade through town. Out of the four, two are the same every year while the other two are different each year.

The town of Takayama is an attraction in and of itself. As a former bustling castle town of the Edo period, its old building facades today look like they’ve been frozen in time. Once the festival has cleared, make sure you take the time to explore it properly. The Sanmachi district in particular contains preserved buildings that attract tourists from all around the country year-round. Wander the old streets and explore the craft shops and traditional restaurants that serve you local tea and treats like wagyu sushi. There are plenty of sake breweries and tastings as well that have been around for generations and generations.

There are also two famed morning markets in the area that sell local produce and artisanal craftworks: one on the bank of Miyagawa River, and another in front of Takayama Jinya.

If you’re curious to peek inside an especially well-preserved traditional house, check out the Yoshijima Heritage House. This house was built in 1907 for the Yoshijima family of sake brewers and showcases the best of carpentry traditions. In fact, it was designated a National Important Cultural Property. At the door, you’ll see a noren curtain that contains the two stripes of the family crest.

Lastly, head over to Hida Folk Village to go back even further in time. This open-air museum has over 30 historic buildings from the Hida area, including the iconic thatched-roof gassho-zukuri homes. These houses were taken from around central Japan and carefully reconstructed here, spread carefully across a park with a central pond. Many of these houses are open to the public to enter, so you can see how they were built and furnished. Some of them also have artifacts like traditional tools and garments on display. Surprisingly, the irori fireplaces inside these buildings are lit every morning, making for a lively atmosphere for all visitors.