Central Japan · Toyama · Takaoka

Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival

高岡御車山祭

The spring grand festival of Takaoka Sekino Shrine in Takaoka, Toyama. Seven mikurumayama, wheeled floats adorned with the town’s metalwork and lacquer, are pulled through the old castle town to elegant festival music. The festival and its floats are both designated Important Folk Cultural Properties. Held every year on 1 May.

1 May 2027

181 days away

Every year, 1 May

Future dates: 1 May 2027 · 1 May 2028 · 1 May 2029

Origin

In 1588 Toyotomi Hideyoshi used an imperial ox-carriage to welcome Emperor Go-Yōzei to his Jurakudai palace. The carriage is said to have passed to Maeda Toshiie, and in 1609 his son Maeda Toshinaga, building Takaoka Castle, gave it to the townspeople. They began to pull it in the procession of Sekino Shrine’s portable shrine at the spring festival, and, pouring in their wealth and their craftsmanship, made it one of the most splendid festival floats in Japan. In 2016 the festival was inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list as one of the yama, hoko, yatai float festivals.

What to look for

At noon all seven mikurumayama gather at the Katahara-machi crossroads. Each float takes the form of an imperial ox-carriage, its wheels, railings and beams decorated with the finest of Takaoka’s metalwork and lacquer, and is topped with a central pillar and flowered parasol to receive the god. Some carry mechanical karakuri puppets. Led by the lion head of Sakashita-machi, the seven are pushed along by the townspeople to elegant festival music, moving slowly through the old town, including Yamachō-suji. On the night before, 30 April, comes the eve festival, when the floats are lit up.

How to watch

The festival is the spring grand festival of Takaoka Sekino Shrine, and the floats are pulled as an escort to the procession of its portable shrine, a rite called bu-ei. The floats themselves are designated national Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties. Cars cannot be driven into the old town where the festival takes place.

If you go

If you go, be at the Katahara-machi crossroads at noon on 1 May for the gathering of the floats. The procession runs from late morning to early evening, and the floats can also be seen lit up on the night of 30 April. The festival fills the area around Yamachō-suji and Katahara-machi, about ten minutes’ walk from Takaoka Station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway; from Shin-Takaoka Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, a bus takes about ten minutes to Takaoka Station. Drivers should use the municipal car parks around Takaoka Station. On other days, a mikurumayama can be seen at the Takaoka Mikurumayama Museum on Yamachō-suji.

Where

Takaoka Sekino Shrine, Yamachō-suji and Katahara-machi

Takaoka, Toyama

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Sources

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