Takayama Matsuri (Spring Sanno Festival and Autumn Hachiman Festival)高山祭（春の山王祭・秋の八幡祭）

The collective name for Hie Shrine's Sanno Festival in April and Sakurayama Hachimangu's Hachiman Festival in October, when ornate festival floats that flourished in the late Edo period are drawn out into the town.

Takayama Matsuri is the collective name for two festivals held in spring and autumn, each belonging to one half of the old castle town. In both, a dozen or so floats are lined up, marionette performances are offered, and a procession accompanies the deity through the parish. During the autumn Hachiman Festival, the floats are hung with lanterns and drawn through the streets on the first evening.

This is a religious rite rooted in a shrine or temple. Please follow the guidance of the organizers and clergy, and take care not to disrupt the ceremonies.

According to the Takayama Yatai Preservation Society, the first float is said to have been the kagura-tai of the Hachiman Festival in 1708; further Hachiman floats followed in the Kyoho era, and the Sanno Festival floats appeared some forty years later. From the Bunka–Bunsei period (from 1804) merchant patrons and local craftsmen refined their design. The City of Takayama describes the 12 Sanno and 11 Hachiman floats as typical of festival floats that developed in the late Edo period.

Source: 高山屋台保存会(external site, opens in a new tab) / 高山市(external site, opens in a new tab)

The spring festival belongs to Hie Shrine, guardian of the southern half of the old town, and the autumn festival to Sakurayama Hachimangu, guardian of the northern half. Each float is kept by its own yatai-gumi (float guild), and the festivals are accompanied by traditional performing arts such as keito-gaku music and lion dances.

1. 01

   Yatai hikisoroe (float display)

   The floats are drawn out and lined up together.

2. 02

   Karakuri hono (marionette offering)

   Mechanical marionettes perform atop the floats as an offering.

3. 03

   Gojunko / Goshinko (sacred procession)

   A procession in traditional dress accompanies the deity through the parish.

4. 04

   Yoi-matsuri (autumn)

   On the first evening of the Hachiman Festival, lantern-lit floats move through the town.

Each float is maintained by its yatai-gumi; the designated preservation bodies for the festival are the Hie Shrine parishioners' Sanno Festival Preservation Society and the Hachiman Shrine parishioners' Hachiman Festival Preservation Society.

• Takayama Matsuri (Spring Sanno Festival and Autumn Hachiman Festival)飛騨高山 秋の高山祭 (八幡祭）

• Takayama Matsuri (Spring Sanno Festival and Autumn Hachiman Festival)春の高山祭2025 からくり奉納（14日・午前10時〜）

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During the festivals, traffic restrictions apply in central Takayama, and shuttle buses have run from temporary car parks. Check the City of Takayama and Gifu Prefecture tourism information for each year's arrangements.

Traffic controls, seating and fees change every year. Always check the official website for the latest information.

Official website — takayama-yatai.jp(external site, opens in a new tab)

• Observe traffic restrictions and the directions of stewards
• Do not obstruct the sacred procession or the floats

• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage · 2016

  UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan

  Designated subject: Takayama Matsuri no Yatai Gyoji (float events of the Takayama Festival)（Festival as a whole）

  Source: 高山祭の屋台行事 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)

• National designation · 1979

  Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property

  Designated subject: Takayama Matsuri no Yatai Gyoji (float events of the Takayama Festival)（Festival as a whole）

  Source: 高山祭の屋台行事 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)

• National designation · 1960

  Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property

  Designated subject: Takayama Matsuri Yatai (23 floats: 21 three-tiered floats and 2 kagura-tai floats)（Floats）

  Source: 高山祭屋台 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)

1. 1.高山祭の屋台行事｜高山市(external site, opens in a new tab)高山市 · Accessed 2026-09-26
2. 2.高山祭の歴史｜高山屋台保存会(external site, opens in a new tab)高山屋台保存会 · Accessed 2026-09-26
3. 3.秋の高山祭｜高山屋台保存会(external site, opens in a new tab)高山屋台保存会 · Accessed 2026-09-26
4. 4.高山祭の屋台行事 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)文化庁 · Accessed 2026-09-26
5. 5.高山祭屋台 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)文化庁 · Accessed 2026-09-26
6. 6.秋の高山祭（八幡祭）｜岐阜県観光公式サイト「岐阜の旅ガイド」(external site, opens in a new tab)岐阜県観光連盟 · Accessed 2026-09-26
7. 7.春の高山祭（山王祭）｜岐阜県観光公式サイト「岐阜の旅ガイド」(external site, opens in a new tab)岐阜県観光連盟 · Accessed 2026-09-26
8. 8.高山祭屋台｜岐阜県公式ホームページ（文化伝承課）(external site, opens in a new tab)岐阜県 · Accessed 2026-09-26

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  An ornate Takayama Festival yatai float glowing with lantern light during the night procession

  Photographer

  大野 一将

  Source

  Night procession, Takayama festival, 2017.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)

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  Four gilded Takayama Festival floats lined up under a blue spring sky before a large crowd

  Photographer

  Chme82

  Source

  Takayama Matsuri-2017-2.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)

• 

  A towering lacquered and gilded Takayama float displayed on a street against a blue sky

  Photographer

  Chme82

  Source

  Takayama Matsuri-2017-1.jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)

• 

  A festival musician playing a flute aboard a richly carved float with blue tassels and gilt fittings

  Photographer

  Daniel Horvath

  Source

  Takayama festival musician (Japan).jpg(external site, opens in a new tab)

  Licence

  CC BY-SA 4.0(external site, opens in a new tab)