The city of Takayama celebrated its annual Takayama Autumn Festival on October 10 to 11, 2017.

This year, there were 11 yatai floats taken out for the procession. These were moved to the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shinto Shrine in Gifu Prefecture.

These floats, made by the local craftsmen, were decorated with carvings, chochin lanterns, old mechanical dolls and ornaments. The procession served as the highlight of the festival.

On the second day of the event, the floats were displayed on the streets of Takayama. The Karakuri performance was also held on both days of the event, wherein the mechanical dolls called karakuri ningyo, showcased their sophisticated human-like dance moves.

Aside from the parade and the karakuri, there were also some traditional dance performances from the locals of Takayama during the night.

According to Takayama city officials, there were about 220,000 people who joined the festival this year.

The Takayama Autumn Festival has been celebrated for more the 300 years now, and is even included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Banner Photo by Sjaak Kempe. Licensed under Creative Commons.