A trip to experience authentic Japanese Festivals pulsing with excitement and high spirits
Soul-stirring festival music, lively calls, and bustling roadside crowds.
Many traditional Japanese festivals have been cherished and passed down by local communities to become established as annual events. In Gifu Prefecture, you can experience a dazzlingly gorgeous Matsuri that is counted as one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan, a festive event designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government and as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, and a Bon dancing festival that takes place throughout the night. All of these and more one-of-a-kind special events are held against backdrops of scenic natural beauty.
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Held twice a year, in spring and autumn, Takayama Festival is considered one of the three most beautiful Matsuri in Japan
Dates:
● Takayama Spring Festival: Held on April 14th and 15th every year
● Takayama Autumn Festival: Held on October 9th and 10th every year
With a history of over 300 years, dating back to the Edo period, the Takayama Festival is regarded as one of the “three most beautiful festivals in Japan”. It collectively refers to the Takayama Spring Festival (Sanno Matsuri) and Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri). Takayama Spring Festival (Sanno Matsuri) is held on April 14th and 15th every year as the annual festival of Hie Shrine, while Takayama Autumn Festival is held on October 9th and 10th every year as the yearly festival of Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine.
Perhaps more than anything else, the biggest highlight and must-see attraction of the Takayama Festival is the beautifully adorned matsuri-yatai(festival floats). Boasting unparalleled beauty, the hand-pulled yatai are extremely valuable, having been designated as important tangible folk cultural properties of Japan, with the craftsmanship of the Hida masters and the delicacy of Japanese traditional crafts put on display for all to see.
Other highlights are the “Karakuri Hounou” performance, in which lifelike marionettes mounted on the yatai perform trapeze acrobatic tricks; the “Modoshi-guruma” performance, in which the yatai are turned and maneuvered using wheels; and the beauty of the “Hida-zome” costumes worn at the festival.
With the Matsuri music reverberating in the background, the festival procession, with hundreds of people in traditional costumes, is another highlight that will make you feel like you were slipped back in time to the Edo period.
Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan, where you can see and appreciate the masterpiece floats of the Hida masters up close
At the Takayama Festival Yatai Kaikan (Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall), located on the grounds of Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine, you can see the yatai used in the Takayama Autumn Festival. Four of the eleven yatai on display designated as nationally significant tangible folk cultural properties, and the exhibits change in March, July, and November each year. Bringing together the gilding, engraving, lacquering, and weaving skills of master artisans, the gorgeous yatai are an exquisite sight to behold. The “Mikoshi”, which weighs about 2.5 tons and is said to be Japan’s most magnificent portable shrine with its solemn beauty and elegant decorations, is also on permanent display. This facility allows you to experience Hida’s rich heritage and craftsmanship, faithfully passed down through the generations.
The ancient and traditional Furukawa Festival- A Matsuri featuring the powerful motion of the “Okoshi-daiko” (rousing drum) and the calm stillness of the Mikoshi procession
Date: April 19th and 20th every year
Furukawa Festival, held every April as the annual festival of Keta Wakamiya Shrine, is a traditional Shinto ritual passed on for over 400 years. It has also been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government and an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. The festival comprises both “calm” and “moving” elements. The “Mikoshi Gyoretsu”, a procession of the mikoshi portable shrine carrying the shrine’s deity accompanied by traditional music, and the “Yatai Hikizoroe”, a gathering of the festival floats, are events that take place in “calmness”. The Okoshi-Daiko (rousing drum) is a dynamic event where white sarashi cloth-clad men engage in breathless drum-pounding battles. Charming “Kodomo Kabuki” performances, in which children dress up as the folklore characters Ushiwakamaru and Benkei, are also held on the yatai.
Heralding the start of summer in a castle town – Ogaki Festival, a Matsuri with over 360 years of tradition
Dates: The Saturday and Sunday closest to May 15th every year
Ogaki Festival is said to have started in 1648, when 10 “dashi” festival floats were built and paraded around the town of Ogaki to mark the rebuilding of the Hachiman Shrine. Held every May, a total of 13 dashi festival floats are paraded through the castle town against a backdrop of blazing fresh green foliage. The performances held on the floats in front of Hachiman Shrine, including plays by “Karakuri” marionette dolls and dancing by children, are a must-see, and the festive atmosphere is heightened by the numerous stalls that line the roads. Designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of Japan and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, this major festival represents the Mino region.
Gujo Odori, one of Japan’s three great Bon Matsuri dances, held over 30 midsummer nights in Gifu
Dates: Mid-July to mid-September every year
*The all-night dancing is held from August 13th to 16th every year.
The Gujo Odori dance is one of Japan’s three great Bon dances, along with the Awa Odori dance in Tokushima and the Nishimonai Bon dance in Akita. Boasting a tradition of nearly 400 years, it is said to have begun when the lord of the castle proposed that “everyone should dance together, regardless of social standing, during the four days of the Obon”. As the name suggests, anyone of any age or gender can join in the circle, regardless of what they are wearing; moreover, because the dance involves many simple movements, even beginners can join in and readily dance to the music. The dancing takes place for nearly 30 nights from mid-July to early September, with the climax being four days of all-night dancing between August 13th and 16th, when tens of thousands of people dance through the night into the morning hours.
