Takayama festival autumn: dates, times, rain rule and costs

Last checked: October 2026

Looking down the Takayama Yatai Kaikan hall over a gilded mikoshi to a festival float with a phoenix top

What the autumn festival is

The Hachiman Matsuri is the annual festival of Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine³. According to Takayama City, it began over 300 years ago⁴ to give thanks for the harvest.

Status: a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, known as one of Japan’s three great float festivals⁴.
Two festivals: Takayama has two well-known festivals⁵. The spring one (Sanno Matsuri) falls on April 14-15¹.
Floats: the autumn parade has 11 floats¹, though 10 of 11³ are on public display because the Gyojintai float is being repaired.

The shrine has its own page: Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine.

Gilded Takayama Matsuri float on display on Honmachi street, more floats lined up behind

Is the autumn Takayama Festival worth it?

Yes, if your dates fit: the float parade on the afternoon of 9 October³ happens only at the autumn festival.

The evening adds the lantern-lit night festival, with about 100 lanterns lit on each float³. If you’re building a trip around the takayama matsuri, aim to be in the old town on the first day.

Pick your hours

Festival schedule, day by day

Night festival 18:00-21:30⁶

These are the city’s times for the festival that opened on 9 October 2026⁴. Check the official tourism site for other years.

Event	First day	Second day
Float display	9:00-17:00⁶	9:00-16:00⁶
Karakuri puppets	12:00-12:20, 14:00-14:20⁶	11:00-11:20, 13:00-13:20⁶
Festival procession	13:20-15:30⁶	8:30-12:00, 13:30-16:00⁶
Float parade	13:30-15:30⁶	None listed
Night festival	18:00-21:30⁶	None listed

The puppet performances on the Hotei-tai float take place in the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine precinct³.

Kagura-tai festival float with its gilded phoenix top outside its storehouse in Takayama

Before you go

Rain, crowds and safety

If it rains, the parades and night festival are cancelled and not postponed³. In that case the floats are shown in their own storehouses or the float hall, and the puppets are planned for the Sakurayama Nikkokan⁶.

Tens of thousands of people⁷ come for the festival, and the official tourism site warns of heavy crowds⁸. Hotels are often booked well in advance², so reserve early.

Free to watch

What it costs

Watching the festival costs nothing. The only entry fees are for the float hall, where the autumn floats are kept, and parking at the shrine.

Watching is free²

Festival and float hall costs

Cost	Adult	Child
Watching the festival	Free	–
Float hall (Yatai Kaikan)	¥1,000	¥500
Shrine car park, per hour	¥300	–

japan.travel (official); hidahachimangu.jp (operator)

Other float hall tickets: ¥600 (about US$4) for high-school students and ¥500⁹ (about US$3) for visitors with disabilities. The neighbouring Nikkokan is included in the admission price¹¹.

On foot from the station

Getting there and who it suits

The old town is a 10-minute² walk from JR Takayama Station or the Hida Bus Center next to it. The shrine and float hall are 20 minutes¹² on foot from the station. The parade runs through Shimomachi, north of Yasugawa Street³.

Old town 10 minutes²

Coming from Nagoya, the journey takes about 2 hours 20 minutes⁵; see how to get to Takayama for the other routes.

By car: the shrine car park has space for 50 ordinary cars and 5 buses, and buses must reserve⁹.
What to wear: October averages 19.9 °C by day and 9.2 °C at night¹³, so bring a layer for the evening.
With children: in 2024 the city handed out a quiz-style children’s handbook¹⁴ at tourist information centres during the festival.

Nearby, with their own pages

The shrine’s float hall is the place to see real floats outside the festival. Its operator calls it the only facility with real Takayama Festival floats on permanent display⁹.

The float hall is open 9:00-17:00⁹ from March to November, with 4 floats¹² on show at a time. Details are on the page for the float hall.
Sanmachi old town lanes are close by, and the Miyagawa market stalls are a short walk¹⁵ from Sanmachi.
The Jinya-mae Market² is also nearby.

Want a guide? The early morning walking tour and market visit includes Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine.

Beyond the festival

For more to do in Takayama, start with things to do in Takayama.

Stop at Hirayu Onsen on the road to Kamikochi, the western gateway to Kamikochi⁵.
Hot-spring villages further up the valley are covered under Okuhida, Japan.
Visiting in winter instead? Read the guide to ski area hours and fees.

Questions people ask

What to do in Takayama in autumn?

Colourful maple foliage can be seen in the Takayama area in autumn. Shirakawa-go's best leaves come from late October to early November.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Authors and licences: image credits

Checked against 17 sources · last checked October 2026

hida.jp (official) · checked October 2026
japan.travel (official) · checked October 2026
hida.jp (official) · checked October 2026
Kumanichi (news) · checked October 2026
Travel Japan (japan.travel) (official) · checked October 2026
PR TIMES (official) · checked October 2026
japan.travel (official) · checked October 2026
hida.jp (official) · checked October 2026
hidahachimangu.jp (operator) · checked October 2026
European Central Bank (official) · checked October 2026
japan-guide.com (travel guide) · checked October 2026
hida.jp (official) · checked October 2026
data.jma.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
PR TIMES (official) · checked October 2026
japan.travel (official) · checked October 2026
Wikipedia · checked October 2026
Shirakawa-go Tourist Association (official) · checked October 2026

Page history · last changed 24 October 2026

24 October 2026 First written