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Floats parading at the Takayama Festival (2017)

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Takayama Festival

高山祭 · Takayama, Gifu, Japan

Photo: Chme82 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Twice a year, in spring and autumn, ornate festival floats gather in the old town of Hida-Takayama, with mechanical puppet shows and lantern-lit night parades.

Know before you go

  • Do not step into the float route
  • do not touch the floats
  • do not use flash on the performances

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Stories & people

Stories & people

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The Takayama Festival is the collective name for the spring Sanno Festival and the autumn Hachiman Festival. The spring festival (April 14–15) belongs to Hie Shrine, guardian of the Kami-machi area in the south of the old castle town; the autumn festival (October 9–10) belongs to Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine, guardian of Shimo-machi in the north. The earliest written record, from 1692, mentions a Sanno Festival held about 40 years earlier, while the floats that made the festival famous first appear in a 1718 record of the Hachiman Festival. The spring festival has 12 floats and the autumn festival 11; all 23 are designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties, and they show off the fine woodcarving of Hida craftsmen. Highlights include karakuri puppet performances on the floats, night parades of lantern-hung floats, and the procession of the portable shrine. In 2016 the Takayama float festival was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of the Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals.

Local customs

  • See the floats lined up and their fine carvings
  • watch the karakuri puppet performances
  • follow the lantern-lit floats at night
  • watch the portable-shrine procession.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Japan: At fireworks festivals, don't tape off spots in advance, and never fly drones

Do

  • Spread your sheet where there is actual space when you arrive, leaving room for neighbours
  • Follow police and staff directions and move with the crowd
  • Bring plenty of water and cooling gear to prevent heatstroke
  • Riverbanks have lots of insects, so bring repellent
  • Festivals usually go ahead in light rain, so bring a raincoat
  • Take your rubbish home

Don’t

  • Don't mark spots in advance with tape or spray paint on roads or in parks
  • Don't fly drones
  • Don't use selfie sticks in crowds; the Sumida River festival bans them
  • Don't stop in the middle of the path to watch and block the flow

Spots marked in advance are cleared by the organisers, and flying drones is prohibited by law. City-centre festivals run one-way crowd flows, and going against the flow or stopping can cause dangerous crushes.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Excite News: Sumida River Fireworks, access and viewing guide

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Mixed, open-air and private baths: read the signs, don't stare, never take photos

Do

  • Check the signs before entering; mixed baths are clearly marked, and joining is entirely your choice
  • Most mixed baths are nude only, with no swimwear; some allow or lend special bathing wraps or towels, so follow the bath's rules
  • If you prefer not to bathe mixed, use the separate men's and women's baths or a private bath
  • Outdoor baths are slippery and the temperature changes sharply; hold the handrails when moving
  • Use a private bath only within your booked slot and leave on time
  • Tohoku and other regions still have many therapeutic hot springs with mixed bathing; for long therapeutic stays, follow the ryokan's and your doctor's advice

Don’t

  • Don't stare at other bathers, strike up conversations, or linger to watch
  • Don't take photos or videos in the bath area
  • Don't overstay a private bath; the next group is waiting

Mixed bathing works only because bathers keep their eyes to themselves; staring or taking photos will get you asked to leave, and filming others in a bath may break local law.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Konyoku

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Stay off private land, and ask before photographing children or people

Do

  • Ask parents' permission before photographing their children
  • Ask geiko, maiko, and other working people before photographing them
  • Check for 撮影禁止 (no photography) signs, and ask staff if there are none
  • Photograph trains and stations themselves without disrupting operations

Don’t

  • Do not enter private homes or land for a shot
  • Do not photograph the inside of homes
  • Do not aim your camera at individual passengers on trains or buses
  • Do not step into rice paddies, flower beds, or along railway tracks for photos
  • Do not use selfie sticks or tripods in crowds or dangerous spots
  • Do not chase or stop geiko or maiko

Trespassing on private land is illegal and can get you told to leave or to delete your photos. Shooting in no-photo areas will be stopped, and photographing children is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Aichi Now: Sightseeing Manners

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Bathe nude in the onsen and keep your towel out of the water

Do

  • Bathe fully nude, without swimwear or underwear
  • Rest your small towel on your head or the edge of the bath
  • Tie up long hair so it stays out of the water
  • Enter the bath slowly and keep quiet
  • Leave your phone in the locker
  • Keep your first soak short, and dry off before returning to the changing room

Don’t

  • Do not dip your towel into the bath
  • Do not swim, dive, or talk loudly in the bath
  • Do not take photos anywhere in the bathing area
  • Do not wrap your yukata right side over left; that is how the deceased are dressed

Most of these are written bathhouse rules. Breaking them gets you a reminder from staff, and in serious cases you may be asked to leave. Soaking too long can also make you dizzy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Authentic Local Japan: Onsen Etiquette

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not step into the float route
  • do not touch the floats
  • do not use flash on the performances
  • do not stand in the way of the procession

Locals appreciate DO

  • Follow the staff's directions
  • watch from the roadside and leave room for the floats
  • check on-site notices on rainy days

Plan your visit

Practical info

2027 datesApril 14 – 15, 2027

Travel tips

  • Fixed dates: the spring festival is April 14–15 and the autumn festival October 9–10 every year, whatever the weekday. Because the floats are valuable cultural properties, they are not brought out when it rains or rain is forecast
  • some events may change or be cancelled and are not postponed, so follow the on-site arrangements. The spring festival centres on Hie Shrine in the south of the old town and the autumn festival on Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine in the north
  • both are walkable from JR Takayama station. Accommodation fills up during the festivals, so book early.

2027 schedule

  • Fixed dates: in 2027 the spring festival is April 14–15 and the autumn festival October 9–10
  • the detailed programme awaits official announcement.
Sources & verification notes

Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary: Takayama Festival

Wikipedia (Japanese): Takayama Festival

Wikipedia (Chinese): Takayama Festival

Festival Calendar

Other festivals in Apr

All festivals in Apr