Hida Takayama - Sanno Matsuri or Spring Festival 14-15 April

Takayama is tucked in Northern Gifu Prefecture and often referred to as "Little Kyoto" A trip to this city reveals a rich history, charming streets lined with old buildings and breathtaking landscape of beautiful mountains! Kanpai to Tradition, Sake and Hida Beef!

Takayama Festival is held in Spring(14-15 April) & Autumn(9-10) and is considered one of Japan's Best Festivals During this period, the festival floats(yatai) are taken out of their storehouses and displayed throughout town. The floats with intrinsic details are a fine example of the craftsmanship of Takayama's "woodsmiths"! At the front of some floats, there is an extended ledge on which a mechanical doll stands. Catch the Karakuri Doll Performance and the floats parade throughout town!

If you have missed the festival, check out the floats at Yatai Kaikan!

Street Parade

The Storehouse

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Getting There by Bullet Train
Shin Osaka->Nagoya->Takayama (approx 3h30mins) vs Osaka->Takayama(approx 4 hrs)
* During the festive season, do remember to book your train tickets early, so as to ensure that you have a seat!


You might be interested in
Tenjin Matsuri

Kanamara Matsuri Festival in Kawasaki

SHOW & TELL - I am sorry if this post offends, with the obscene pictures and crude language.Have a date with the Festival of the Steel Phallus in Kawasaki in Spring. The climax of the annual fertility festival, falls on the First Sunday of April! Swelling numbers of Tourists, Locals and even Transvestites attend the celebration! It is a time for people to let loose, throw their inhibition out of the window and HAVE FUN! Much to the delight of the gawking and camera frenzy onlookers! Festive foreplay includes licking candied genital parts and taking snapshots with the wooden penis or of vegetable penis carvings!
One of the many "stars" for the day -







The festival is simply quirky & outrageous! The procession of "cocks" being carted down the street is a yearly highlight!







SEX is in the air, other than selling food for you to nibble on. You can buy anything that depicts kama sutra!




Perhaps they should hold more of such festivals, as Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the region! Jokes aside, the origin Kanamara Matsuri was because prostitutes wanted to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases.


Getting there:
Board the JR line from Tokyo Station To JR Kawasaki Station. Switch to the Keikyu Daishi Line and take the train from Keiku Kawasaki Station to Kawasaki Daishi Station. Follow the crowd and you will be led to Kanamara Shrine, the centrepoint of the festival!