For our Takayama Festival Tours you will have the
chance to see two of the most beautiful festivals in
Japan. There is a Takayama festival in both the spring
season and autumn season. During this time you will
see elaborately decorate floats where several of the
floats have karakuri (mechanical puppets) that can
dance and move in surprising ways. They are
controlled from within the yatai using strings and push
rods. These mechanical puppets are made out of
wood, which are then dressed in silk and embroidered
cloth. Then at night they are illuminated by hundreds
of lanterns.
Takayama Spring Festival has 12 antique yatai (floats)
that are lavishly crafted. The floats showcase the
craftsmanship, which dates back hundreds of years
ago. This event has been held annually on April 14th
and 15th to signify the beginning of spring in
Takayama. The first time the Takayama Spring
Festival was held is unknown, there are records going
back to mid-17th century. Hie Shrine hosts this annual
festival and is located in the southern part of Old Town
in Takayama. It is also referred to as Sanno-sama and
thus the spring festivities are also known as Sanno
Festival.
Takayama Autumn Festival is also known as
Takayama Hachiman Festival because it hosted by the
Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine. The main event of the
festival is the parade with eleven yatai (floats), which
are designated as Significant Intangible Folk Cultural
Assets in Japan. These floats are decorated with
detailed carvings, tapestries, and karakuri dolls
(marionettes). For the Takayama Autumn Festival
master artisans called Hida no Takumi crafted these
floats that date back to the 17th and 18th century. The
craftsmanship on the yatai rivals the work done on the
Yomeimon Gate in Nikko.
