Hikiyama floats and festival music enliven the hillside town; lanterns illuminate the night
Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival
The 2026 edition of Etchu Yatsuo Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/05/03Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on May 3 / Every year
- Location
- Central Yatsuo Town
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Toyama City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free admission
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival, passed down in the Yatsuo area of Toyama City, is a spring festival featuring 6 magnificent hikiyama floats parading through the hilly town. Enjoy the fine details of the craftsmanship and festival music by day, and the glow of the lantern floats at night.
About Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival
The Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival is the spring festival of Yatsuo Hachimansha Shrine, held every year on May 3 in the Yatsuo area of Toyama City.
The festival has continued since the mid-Edo period and is passed down as an event symbolizing the merchant culture of Yatsuo, which prospered through sericulture and washi papermaking.
Lion dancers, , and 6 hikiyama floats travel through the hilly town, presenting a different appearance by day and by night.
Source: 越中八尾曳山祭 - Wikipedia / 越中八尾曳山祭 - 富山市公式観光サイト
Festival highlights
The highlights are 6 hikiyama floats adorned with lacquer, metalwork, carvings, gold leaf, and other embellishments.
By day, young people pull the floats along the slopes and through streets lined with stone paving, accompanied by festival music played on shamisen, transverse flutes, and drums.
At night, they become lantern floats adorned with numerous lanterns. The dramatic turning of a corner, when the pullers join forces, is another striking scene.
Hikiyama floats and festival music enliven the hillside town; lanterns illuminate the night
What to expect
The main festival begins with Shinto rites at dawn and the transfer of the sacred object. The procession then travels through the parishioner districts in this order: lion dance, mikoshi, and hikiyama floats.
In the evening, the floats’ carvings and other decorations are removed and they are transformed into lantern floats, which are dedicated at Yatsuo Hachimansha Shrine at night.
After the dedication, a formal celebratory handclap ceremony is held. Each float is then paraded around its own district, and the festivities end around midnight.
How to take part
Information indicates that members of the public may watch the festival procession.
During the daytime float-pulling, children can be seen joining the ropes attached to the hikiyama and pulling them, but whether general visitors may participate as pullers depends on the information provided for each festival year.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The festival takes place in central Yatsuo Town (the Yatsuo area of Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture).
Vehicle traffic is prohibited in the old town on the day of the festival.
- Train and bus
Take the JR Takayama Main Line from Toyama Station to Etchu-Yatsuo Station, then walk about 30 minutes from the station.
The town sightseeing bus from Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the front of Chomin Hiroba takes about 15 minutes.
- By car
It takes about 24 minutes from Toyama-Nishi IC and about 25 minutes from Toyama IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
- Parking
Chomin Hiroba is listed as free parking.
Event venue 富山県富山市 八尾町中心市街地
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 event information (the published dates have passed)
The main festival is held annually on May 3.
The 2026 event had been scheduled for May 3, with times announced for the departure of the carved floats and the lantern-float procession. However, the hikiyama festival was canceled due to forecast bad weather.
Notices said that traffic restrictions would remain in effect.
Source: お知らせ一覧 | Yatsuokankoukyoukai
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Toyama Prefecture / Toyama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
On the day of the festival, vehicle traffic is prohibited in the old town area. If you are visiting by car, check the restricted zones and parking locations before setting out.
The hikiyama travel along sloping roads and narrow stone-paved streets, changing direction at corners with their wheels creaking, so keep a safe distance from the procession route.
The festival was canceled in 2026 due to bad weather, so be aware that weather may cause changes.
Nearby attractions
The Yatsuo Hikiyama Hall (Hikiyama Exhibition Hall) is introduced as a place to learn about Yatsuo’s townscape and festival culture.
Inside the venue, you can view 3 hikiyama floats at any time while listening to hikiyama festival music, and learn about the floats’ history and the distinctive features of each district.
Nearby sightseeing options include the Yatsuo Owara Museum and Kasuga Onsen Resort.
Source: 八尾曳山会館 | 越中八尾観光協会 / Etchu-Yasuo Hikiyama Festival | Events | The Official Tourism Website of Toyama "Visit Toyama"
ギャルリ・ミレー
富山県富山市にある美術館
佐藤記念美術館
富山県富山市の富山城址公園内にある美術館
富山市ガラス美術館
富山県富山市にある美術館
富山市ファミリーパーク
富山県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
富山市民俗民芸村
富山県富山市にある、博物館や資料館・美術館などを集積した集落
富山市科学博物館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
富山市郷土博物館
富山県富山市の富山城址公園内にある博物館
富山県中央植物園
富山県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
富山県埋蔵文化財センター
富山県富山市にある埋蔵文化財の調査・研究、展示を行う施設
富山県水墨美術館
富山県富山市にある美術館
富山県美術館
富山県富山市にある美術館
富岩運河環水公園
富山県富山市にある公園
Origins and History of Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival
The festival is said to have originated in 1741, when Kamishinmachi placed puppets and performers on a flower-decorated float and dedicated it to mark the rebuilding of the shrine building that preceded Yatsuo Hachimansha Shrine. On the way back, they paraded it around town.
After that, each district built a hikiyama float and joined the festival, and by the mid-Meiji period there were 6 floats.
The hikiyama floats today preserve Yatsuo’s merchant culture and craftsmanship passed down from master artisans from across Japan.
Official information
The official website of the Etchu Yatsuo Tourism Association provides the route map for the Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival, festival highlights, and information about each district’s hikiyama float.
The Etchu Yatsuo Tourism Association is the contact point.
Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival at a Glance
The Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival is one of Yatsuo’s signature spring festivals, with 6 hikiyama floats traveling through the hilly town after the lion dance and mikoshi.
Highlights include the craftsmanship and festival music by day, and the lantern floats and corner turns by night.
The 2026 festival was scheduled for May 3 but was canceled due to bad weather.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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