Spring festival trip: Takayama Festival or Inuyama Festival? How to enjoy the floats, dashi, and karakuri

If you want to see lavish festival floats in spring, you may be considering the Takayama Festival and the Inuyama Festival. Both are known for their karakuri puppets and decorations, but they are not held on the same day or in the same way. Compare the dates, the scenes you want to see, and how you’d like to explore each town to plan a spring festival trip that suits you.

Don’t confuse the Spring Takayama Festival with the Autumn Takayama Festival

The Takayama Festival is held in spring and autumn. The spring festival is known as the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the autumn festival as the Hachiman Festival at Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine. When planning your trip, check which festival the photos in your search results show. If the float you like is pictured at the autumn festival, you may not see that same float in spring. (Hida Takayama Travel Guide: “How to Enjoy the Takayama Festival”）

If you choose the Spring Takayama Festival, check the current year's guide for where to see the festival floats and when events take place. Decide on one priority first—such as seeing the karakuri, viewing the floats at night, or admiring their details. This makes it easier to decide when to arrive and whether to stay overnight.

At the Inuyama Festival, look out for the three-tiered dashi and karakuri puppets

The Inuyama Festival is a festival of Haritsuna Shrine and is announced as taking place on the first Saturday and Sunday of April each year. It is known for its 13 three-tiered dashi and karakuri puppets. Don’t assume it falls on the same dates every April; check the weekdays and event information for that year. (Inuyama Tourism Navi: “Haritsuna Shrine”）（Inuyama Tourism Navi: “Inuyama Festival”）

If you’re combining the festival with a walk through Inuyama’s castle town, set aside time to see the dashi first, and save eating and shopping for another part of the day. Rather than stopping to eat in a narrow spot, take a break somewhere that won’t obstruct pedestrian traffic, then return to watch the festival. That way, you can pay attention to the movement of the festivities, too.

Compare how to plan your visit, not just how lavish the festivals are

What to look for	What to check for the Takayama Festival	What to check for the Inuyama Festival
Dates	Current-year guide to the spring festival	Current-year guide for the first weekend of April
Karakuri puppets	Floats featured in performances, locations, and times	Dashi offering locations and times
Watching at night	Nighttime events and arrangements for rainy weather	Nighttime dashi route and return journey
Exploring the town	Festival areas and how to explore as a visitor	Restrictions and walking routes in the castle town

You don’t have to try to follow every event at either festival in a single day. If it’s your first visit, watch one performance in full and leave time before or after to admire the designs. That way, you won’t end up just wandering around the venue without a plan.

Allow some flexibility for spring weather and your return journey

How the festival floats and dashi are handled depends on the weather. In addition to checking whether the festival itself will go ahead, check official announcements for updates on the dashi processions and performances on the day. To make the most of your time, look into local exhibition facilities in case an event you hoped to see is unavailable.

If you plan to stay out until night, check whether you can get back by simply heading to the station after the festivities end. Rather than trying to squeeze both festivals into a short trip, you could visit Takayama this year and Inuyama next time. The differences between designs that looked similar can make your next trip all the more enjoyable.

Official information used as references

• Hida Takayama Travel Guide: “How to Enjoy the Takayama Festival”
• Inuyama Tourism Navi: “Inuyama Festival”
• Inuyama Tourism Navi: “Haritsuna Shrine”

This article is based on publicly available information from official sources, local governments, tourism associations, and others. Information checked: 2026/10/01. Please check the official guide for the year you plan to visit for event dates, venues, traffic restrictions, and participation requirements.