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Takayama Spring & Autumn Festivals
Takayama comes alive in mid-April and mid-October for their annual festivals.
Twice a year, Takayama celebrates the changing of the seasons with a two day festival. The highlight of each event is a huge procession of festival floats known as yatai, which are pulled through the streets of the town, accompanied by hundreds of locals in colourful traditional dress. The yatai spend most of the year hidden away in special storehouses dotted around the town (look out for them!) but are proudly displayed along the streets on the days of the festival. They are ornately decorated, and many feature intricate mechanical dolls perched on top, which move and dance under the control of skilled puppeteers hidden within the float.
Both Takayama Festivals are immensely popular with Japanese travelling from all over the country, plus plenty of overseas guests, so expect the town to be extremely busy. However the numbers do not detract from the spectacular sight that the festival is, so your time in Takayama is sure to be a highlight of your trip!
When to go: The Spring Festival takes place on 14th & 15th April, while the Autumn Festival is on 9th & 10th October.
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: 303 952 0379
A quick note about our experiences: Our experiences are designed to be part of a complete, tailor-made travel package and are not available to book individually. This allows us to ensure every detail – from accommodation to transport – is perfectly coordinated for you. If you're interested in one of these experiences, we'd love to help you build a full itinerary around it!
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