A spring festival in Okubo featuring the Gannenbo Odori and lantern-lit dashi
Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival
The 2026 edition of Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/11Ended
- Season / frequency
- The second Sunday of April every year / Every year
- Location
- Shimookubo Hachimangu Shrine, Kamiookubo Tenmangu Shrine, and the Shimookubo and Kamiokubo districts of Toyama City
- 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A spring festival featuring the Gannenbo Odori and the Takasagoyama takes place in the Okubo area of Toyama City. Children's dances, , festival music, and the lantern-lit dashi at night link the streets of the community, passing down traditions from the Sengoku period and the community's prayers to the present day.
About Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival
The Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival is a spring Hachimangu Shrine festival passed down in the Shimookubo and Kamiokubo districts of Toyama City.
Children parade through the district and perform the Gannenbo Odori at designated locations.
The procession of dancers is joined by a dashi called Takasagoyama, bringing the local festival and traditional performing arts together.
Today, it is held as an event praying for a good harvest.
Source: 高砂山願念坊祭り - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The highlight is being able to enjoy the Gannenbo Odori and the Takasagoyama dashi procession at the same time.
The dances include hand dances, tasuki dances, and bamboo dances accompanied by clappers called yotsudake. Other distinctive features include girls dressed as shrine maidens in brightly colored kimono and boys wearing .
Music played on flute, shakuhachi, shamisen, and drums accompanies the dancing, and lanterns are lit on the dashi at night.
At times, the Kamiookubo district lion dance leads the dashi procession.
A spring festival in Okubo featuring the Gannenbo Odori and lantern-lit dashi
What to expect
The festival begins with students performing a dedication dance at Shimookubo Hachimangu Shrine.
Afterward, Takasagoyama, pulled by young people, and the students proceed toward Kamiookubo Tenmangu Shrine. At the boundary, the Kamiookubo Lion Dance Preservation Association performs a welcoming lion dance.
Along the route, the dashi proceeds to the sound of flutes and drums, and the Gannenbo Odori is performed at more than 10 designated locations.
At night, the dashi, lit with lanterns, and the dancers make their way around various locations.
How to take part
The festival dancers are students, mainly local elementary and junior high school students.
Students from Okubo Elementary School and Osawano Junior High School wear costumes and offer Gannembo Odori.
Young people pull the Takasago-yama, while the preservation society performs the shishimai.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The Shimookubo and Kamiokubo districts of Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture.
The procession proceeds from Shimookubo Hachimangu Shrine toward Kamiookubo Tenmangu Shrine, with dances performed at designated locations throughout the district.
Address The Shimookubo and Kamiokubo districts of Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)
This spring festival is usually held on the second Sunday of April.
According to the 2026 event announcement, local children and students are expected to perform the Gannenbo Odori as an offering in the Shimookubo area of Toyama City on April 11.
The dashi procession and dancing take place during the day, and the lantern-lit dashi appears at night.
Source: 伝統の踊り、息ぴったり 富山・下大久保で１１日に高砂山願念坊祭、児童・生徒が奉納へ練習｜北日本新聞webunプラス
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Tips for your visit
The festival does not take place within a single venue alone; it consists of a procession from Shimookubo Hachimangu Shrine toward Kamiookubo Tenmangu Shrine and dances at designated locations in the district.
If there is a particular scene you want to see, look out for the dedication dance, the welcoming lion dance at the boundary, the Gannenbo Odori at designated locations, and the lantern-lit dashi at night.
As events continue into the night, check your return transportation and dress appropriately for the weather in advance.
Nearby attractions
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 Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival
The Gannenbo Odori is said to have begun when monks danced to celebrate the peace agreement that ended the Ishiyama War. It has been passed down as a tradition dating back to the Sengoku period.
Takasagoyama is a dashi that was received from Ima-machi in Yatsuo Town in 1862. Around the beginning of the Taisho period, it began to be pulled along with children.
The festival was temporarily discontinued during wartime, but was revived in 1976 after efforts including repairs to the dashi funded by donations.
Today, it continues as a spring festival praying for a good harvest.
Official information
The Toyama Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival Preservation Association is listed as a contact for preservation activities related to the Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival.
For the festival date, procession details, and guidance for spectators, check the latest announcements from the preservation association or local community.
Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival at a Glance
The Takasagoyama Gannenbo Festival is a spring festival that continues in the Shimookubo and Kamiokubo districts of Toyama City.
The festival brings together children's Gannenbo Odori, music played on flutes and drums, lion dances, and the Takasagoyama dashi procession. A lantern-lit dashi can also be seen at night.
The dance passed down from the Sengoku period and the dashi dating back to the Edo period tell the story of the region's history.
The event for April 11 was announced in 2026.
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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