Autumn Takayama Festival (Hachiman Matsuri)

October 9 & 10 annually
On the days of the festival, brochures of the Autumn Takayama Festival will be available at the festival information headquarters, tourist information centers and parking areas.

• brochure English (PDF 4.9MB)
• brochure Japanese (PDF 5.7MB)

The Autumn Takayama Festival or Hachiman Matsuri is an annual festival for Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine to celebrate a good harvest in autumn. The festival parade is held in the Shimomachi area, on the north side of Yasugawa Street.

There are 11 matsuri-yatai festival floats in the area, and they are paraded around all at once. One of the floats has a marionette show. There will be a festival parade and a yoimatsuri (evening festival) .

Featured Events

Festival Parade

A line of several hundreds of people dressed in traditional costumes such as kamishimo (samurai costume) walk around the festival area with a portable shrine which carries the deity. Shishimai performers (lion dance) and tokeiraku people who wear costumes decorated with spirited fighting roosters and ring bells join the parade.

Date	Time	Schedule
9	1:00 pm	Start from Omotesando St.
9	Around 3:30 pm	End at near the Takayama police Station
10	8:30 am	Start from Omotesando St.
10	Around 4:30pm	End at Omotesando St.

otabisho:the location where the deity stops for a rest or overnight stay.

• Procession Route Map (PDF 185.1KB)

Yatai Float Display

There are 11 matsuri-yatai festival floats for the Autumn Takayama Festival (Hachiman Matsuri).
Each float has its own unique ornaments, so taking time to compare the floats when they are all paraded around is one of the enjoyments of the festival.

Date	Time	Floats	Display Location
9	9a.m. -  Around 5p.m.	Hotei-tai	Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine Precinct
9	9a.m. -  Around 5p.m.	Kagura-tai, Kinpo-tai, Daihachi-tai, Kyuhosha, Jinma-tai, Sennin-tai, Gyojin-tai, Hoju-tai, Homei-tai, Houou-tai	Omotesando (Front approach of the shrine)
10	9a.m. -  Around 4p.m.	Hotei-tai	Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine Precinct
10	9a.m. -  Around 4p.m.	Kagura-tai, Kinpo-tai, Daihachi-tai, Kyuhosha, Jinma-tai, Sennin-tai, Gyojin-tai, Hoju-tai, Homei-tai, Houou-tai	Omotesando (Front approach of the shrine)

 

Yatai Parade

The yatai parade of the afternoon of the 9th only held at Autumn Takayama Festival. Audience can see four yatai floats being paraded through the city.

Marionette Performance

At the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine precinct, a marionette performance on one of the floats-Hotei-tai-is held. Six to eight masters called tsunakata move many strings of the marionettes. The audience will be overwhelmed by the detailed and bold movements of the marionettes, as if they were alive.
The Marionette Performance is held twice a day, morning and afternoon, on both days of the festival.

Day	Time	Location
9	12:00 pm -	Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine Precinct
9	2:00 pm -	Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine Precinct
10	11:00 am -	Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine Precinct
10	1:00 pm -	Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine Precinct

Please note that we may limit the entrances from the surrounding areas to ensure safety and prevent accidents.

Yoimatsuri (Evening Festival)

Yoimatsuri  is held on the night of the 9th. Approximately 100 lanterns are lit on each float, and the floats are slowly paraded through the city. The audience can experience a fantastic spectacle, which is quite different from the daytime display.

• Yatai Float Display Map/Yoimatsuri Yatai Parade Map (PDF 181.4KB)

Information and Requests

In the event of rain

• The Marionette Performance, Festival Parade, Yatai Parade and Yomatsuri will be cancelled.
• The festival will not be postponed.
• Viewing the yatai floats in each storage place may be available depending on the weather.

Requests

• Yatai floats are invaluable cultural assets. Please be careful around them.
• Do not touch yatai floats. For your safety, please do not come close to the yatai floats when they are displayed.
• Do not obstruct the parade to take photographs.
• Heavy crowds are expected during the festival period. Please give way to each other to avoid accidents.
• Due to regulations, there are no garbage containers for festival visitors, so please take your garbage with you when you leave. Smoking around the Furui-machi-nami is also prohibited.
• Please note that the festival event schedule may change due to bad weather.
• There are some roadside ditches which are not covered. Please watch your step, especially at the yomatsuri.

Takayama Festival Information Centers

• Takayama Festival Information Headquarters: Telephone: +81-577-35-6502 * Opens on April 14 and 15 only.
• Hida Takayama Tourist Information Office: Telephone: +81-577-32-5328
• Takayama City Hall Tourism Division: Telephone: +81-577-32-3333