Takayama Spring Festival April 14 & 15
The Spring Festival is an annual festival of the Hie Jinja Shrine which was originally built in 1141. The people who live in the southern half of downtown Takayama worship at this shrine.
The actual festival starts on March 1st, when the order of the procession of festival floats is decided. On April 14th, after the ritual ceremony at the shrine, a festival procession with hundreds of townspeople wearing traditional costumes begins.
During the day time, all Spring Festival floats are pulled out, and the marionette performances are dedicated to the gods. In the evening, a night festival containing beautifully decorated floats proceeds through the town. People are fascinated by the beautiful breath-taking scenery.
The next day is a highlight of the festival. Marionette performances on Ryujin-tai, Sanba-so, and Shakkyo-tai floats are executed, and the shrine’s main god, led by the festival procession,visits every household. A group of people in the procession play Shintomusic, which is Japanese Imperial music; the other group carries a “Mikoshi”,or a portable shrine with a god in it. The long procession featuring traditional music and people in traditional costume takes us back to old Japan.
The festival finishes with another ritual ceremony at the shrine. The ceremony is held in a solemn atmosphere.
Pictures:Festival floats of Takayama festival published by Hida takayama tourism association
