Takayama Spring Festival

About the festival

Takayama Spring Festival, also known as Sanno Matsuri, is held every April in the mountain town of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, and is considered one of Japan's most beautiful float festivals. It centres on Hie Shrine and features ornate yatai floats, some centuries old, decorated with intricate carvings and metalwork.

A highlight of the festival is the karakuri ningyo, mechanical puppets mounted on some of the floats, which perform choreographed movements controlled by strings, a tradition going back generations in Takayama's craftsmanship. The floats are paraded through the old town's streets during the day, with some illuminated in the evening.

Takayama's old town is compact and walkable, making it easy to see multiple floats over the course of the festival without needing to move quickly between viewing points. Because the town is smaller than Kyoto or Tokyo, accommodation is more limited and tends to book up early for festival dates.

The 2027 festival is expected to run from 14 to 15 April.