Takayama

Takayama Festival | April 15th Information


Every year the Takayama Festival (Spring) is held on April 14th and 15th. April 14th is where most of the major festivities are held including the night festival. If you missed the festival on the 14th, don’t fret! You can still see the floats another day. On the 15th, the parade returns to the main shrine and several dances and puppet shows are held throughout the day. Depending on the weather, there are cases where the festival finishes early or is cancelled due to the fragile nature of the floats so please keep this in mind.

How to get to Takayama from Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka

Boarding AreaTime TakenBus FareReservation link
Tokyo (Shinjuku Station)~7 hoursAdult: 8,000 yen
Child: 4,000 yen
Direct bus
Nagoya Station~2 1/2 hoursAdult: 3,600 yen
Child: 3,600 yen
Direct bus
Kyoto Station~5 hoursAdult: 6,000 yen
Child: 2,750 yen
Direct bus
Osaka Station~6 hoursAdult: 7,000 yen
Child: 3,550 yen
Direct bus

Festival Schedule for April 15th (Tentative)


April 15th: On this day, a procession makes its way back to Hie Shrine where they departed the day before. There are also puppet shows put on through different times throughout the day. At the procession locals dress up in traditional wear and play music as they march back to Hie Shrine. There are also Shishimai (lion) dances that take place in front of the Takayama Historical Government House.

Takayama Spring Festival April 15th Schedule

Note: This is the basic schedule, however often schedules can be completely changed due to weather conditions so pay attention to live updates.

Marionette Performance #1   10:00 AM (around 15 mins)
Procession starts
(in front of Takayama Historical Government House )
   12:30 PM
Marionette Performance #2   2:00 PM (around 15 mins)
Procession ends at Hie Shrine   4:00 PM
The schedule is subject to change depending on weather (such as rain).

Takayama City decides and has live updates on which events are cancelled the day of found on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Takayama Float Locations (for the marionette dances)


*Each float has a unique performance. For example, the Shakkyo marionette includes a lion dance and lion transformation while the Ryujin marionette includes a blast of confetti. Floats in red show which ones are putting on shows.


12:30 PM

Get off at Takayama Nohi Bus Center adjacent to Takayama Station. I missed the lion dance earlier, but the streets were lively with a lot of tourists.

1:20 PM

Around Honmachi street, there are festival food and game stalls selling classic festival foods like chocolate bananas, sugar coated fruits, fried foods and more! Many local children were out with their friends playing games.


Similar to the Ponshukan Sake Museum in Niigata Prefecture, Takayama also opened a sake sample bar located in the souvenir store Maryuhyaku where you can sample 100 different types of the areas award winning sake, which is proudly produced in the area.



1:50 PM

After walking through the main streets and even doing some shopping, people started to make their ways to several different float stalls. I arrived 10 minutes early and was already far behind in the crowd!

Not all Takayama floats have puppets on them–my best advice is to see where the Japanese crowds migrate to (lol). Those with puppets will have a protruding stage in front of it for the doll. Floats with dolls on them are: Ebisu, Ryujin, Sanbasou, Shakkyo, Koukondai.

2:00 PM

The puppet dances start at each respective stall at 2PM and lasts around 15 minutes. This particular float (Shakkyo) was located right in front of the Takayama Municipal Government Memorial Hall. It did some pretty nifty tricks that were totally unexpected.

Hotels/ Lodging

Most guests opt to stay the night in Takayama to enjoy the festival and area at a more leisurely pace. The area is abundant in nature activities, luxurious foods like Hida beef, and natural hot springs. To truly experience the hot springs and hiking, the Okuhida region of Takayama has hiking trails, hot springs, and access to the national park Kamikochi. Next door is also Hida Furukawa famous for inspiring the anime movie, “Your Name” where many people enjoy riding bicycles by the rice fields. Lastly, the Kamioka region is a retro town famous for its outdoor bicycle experience on an old abandoned railway track!

 

Check more detailed information about the bus routes/ prices in the area: here

Cheapest way from Kyoto to Takayama by Bus

Publish date: April 1st, 2025 Topic: Transportation to Takayama, Takayama Bus


Going between Kyoto and Takayama can range from around 3 1/2 hours to 5 hours. There are currently two direct buses departing from Kyoto Station, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. From July to October, one more bus is added and departs around lunch time and can be seen in the table below. If you want to visit Shirakawago or Kanazawa on the way to Takayama, there is also a tour bus that runs once a day, but it costs significantly more.

Kyoto to Takayama Bus Departure Times (direct bus)

Boarding time (from Kyoto)Arrival time (in Takayama)PriceReservation link
9:50 AM2:02 PMAdult: 6,000 yen
Child: 2,750 yen
Reservation
11:50 AM (From 7/19~ 10/23)4:02 PMAdult: 6,000 yen
Child: 2,750 yen
Reservation
4:45 PM8:57 PMAdult: 6,000 yen
Child: 2,750 yen
Reservation

*Note: If you want to also go to Shirakawago, you will have to board from Takayama Nohi Bus Center. (Reservations in advance are recommended)

How to board the Takayama Bus from Kyoto Station

Aim for Hachiko West Exit

If you’re arriving from the Kyoto Tower side of the station, follow the signs for Hachiko West Exit. After passing the shinkansen (bullet train) entrance, keep walking straight passing the Kintetsu train entrance until you are outside.

Sit in the waiting area

Right outside the station exit is a waiting area with plenty of seating and a roof. There is no bathroom, but a smoking area. Take the stairs or escalator down and head for bus stop F3.

Board the bus

At bus stop F3, the bus driver will check your reservation. If you did not book a ticket in advance, if there are still seats available, you can pay the driver directly in cash and still board.

Morning Kyoto Bus

In both Kyoto and Takayama, many stores and restaurants don’t open until 10 or 11AM, which can be inconvenient at times. If you board the 9:50AM bus, there are convenience stores, bread stores, and McDonalds at Kyoto station for breakfast. By taking this bus, you will arrive in Takayama in time for dinner.

Afternoon Kyoto Bus

If you want to spend time in Kyoto and reach Takayama at night, the 4:45PM bus is ideal as it gives you time to eat lunch beforehand. We recommend buying a dinner to-go as when you arrive in Takayama (around 9PM), most restaurants have already been closed.


Kyoto to Takayama via the Lemon Tour Bus (with stops at Kanazawa and Shirakawago)


There is a bus that makes a brief 40 minute stop in Kanazawa and a 1 hour 30 minute bus stop in Shirakawago. This bus is not a guided tour but instead transports you between each location.

Bus route schedule:
Kyoto Station (8:40AM departure)
Kanazawa (1:10~1:50PM) [40mins]
Shirakawago (3:10PM~4:40PM)
[1hr 30mins]
Takayama (ETA 5:40PM)

Price: 16,000 yen (both adult/child fare)
Check the website/ make a reservation

NOTE: If you want to make all the stops in one day, this is a good option as getting to Shirakawago from Takayama takes 1 hour one way and departs only once an hour (5,600 yen roundtrip).


Price Analysis: Bus vs Train

Other methods to get from Kyoto to Takayama are by train and bus, or train, and shinkansen.
Express trains such as the Hida Express or buses may depart only once an hour, so you may have to align your departure times. Reservations are recommended for the bus and express trains.

Transportation MethodTime TakenCost
Bullet train (Shinkansen) + Express Train (Hida Express)~3hr 30 mins12,420 yen
Bullet train (Shinkansen) + Bus (from Nagoya)~3hr 30 mins9,720 yen
Direct bus from Kyoto to Takayama~4hr 10 mins6,000 yen

From Takayama you can also easily get to places like: Shirakawago, Okuhida, Kamikochi, and Kanazawa.

Okuhida Onsen Resort Town
1 hour from Takayama City
Kamikochi National Park
1hr 20 mins from Takayama City
Shirakawago Observation Deck View in the Winter
Observation Deck View at Shirakawago
1 hour from Takayama City
Higashi Chaya District in Kanazawa
2hrs 30 mins from Takayama City

If you use Takayama as a base, getting to these locations take only 2 hours or less. The Takayama area offers a lot of outdoor activities such as hiking, nature bathing, and natural hotsprings. Nearby are also popular tourist towns such as Hida Furukawa, Kamioka, and Gero.

You can check the following bus routes here.