Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri)

The Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri) centres on the Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine and is also known as the Hachiman Festival. It takes place once the harvest is in and serves as a festival of thanksgiving.

The yatai floats are hung with traditional lanterns and taken on a tour through the city, accompanied by people dressed in kimono or hakama.

The festival is held in Takayama, in Gifu, Japan. The dates are not confirmed yet: it is expected to start on 9 October 2027, and the usual pattern is for it to run from 9 to 10 October. The edition is listed as scheduled, but this is also an estimate for now.

No details on access are available yet, so check the programme with the organiser, the Takayama Yatai Hozonkai (Takayama Float Preservation Society), before planning a trip.

The Takayama festivals are believed to have begun under the Kanamori family, and are placed in the 16th to 17th century. Letters dated 1692 place the origin of the festivals 40 years before that year.

The festival floats date from the 17th century. They are decorated with carved gilded wood and metalwork in a style resembling Kyoto art of the Momoyama period.