Takayama Spring Festival

春の高山祭（Haru no Takayama Matsuri）

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Thought to be around 400 years old, the Takayama Festival is counted as one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan and was registered as an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in late 2016. It is held every spring and autumn, and it shows-off what is great about the Hida region. The festival has continued to be protected and cherished by the local people, who demonstrate their traditional folk arts during the event.

Perhaps more than anything else, the focal point and must-see attraction of the Takayama Festival is the beautiful festival floats, which are products of the fabulous craftsmanship of the Hida masters. With elaborate, artistic ornaments, masterfully designed marionettes who exhibit incredibly dexterous movements, and clever contraptions for maneuvering them around town, the floats are really masterpieces in their own right! At nighttime, the floats are covered with lanterns, and the parade of these floats creates a beautiful fantasy world completely different from the daytime procession.

• Tradition & History
• Spring