A Colorful Hikiyama Festival Held Once a Year in Toyama Resonates Around the World

This is a day where you can witness the old procession used to welcome the gods (which has continued since the Edo period), the traditional technique used for Hikiyama, and Iori Uta (the hermit song).
The Johana Hikiyama Festival is a festival at Johana Shinmeigu Shrine in its current form in 1724. This is the only festival in the prefecture that still retains the old format of "Old God Welcome Procession" to welcome the gods which dates back to the Edo period and involves a series of floats, where a lion dance and a Kenhoko take the lead, followed by umbrella floats, Mikoshi, and other floats were carried over, with hermitage stalls modeled after teahouses and restaurants.
 

On Hikiyama, the carvings by the local master craftsmen who built Zentokuji Temple and the castle are lacquered by a local lacquer craftsman and lavishly decorated with gold leaf, giving a sense of both delicacy and luxury that conveys the town's financial and technological strength in the past. The highlight is the lantern float in the evening. The lanterns hanging from the floats sway, and the emotional scene in which the sculptures can be glimpsed through the gaps stirs many emotions.
 

Relive the Festival Experience at "Johana Hikiyama Kaikan"
At Johana Hikiyama Kaikan, located in the town center, the actual hermit stalls and Hikiyama used in the festival are always on display, and you can also watch videos that give you a sense of being at the festival.
 

When visiting Hikiyama Kaikan, you should go to "Tamura Manseido," the nearby Japanese sweets shop. This store sells products with the image of Hikiyama, which are perfect for souvenirs.
 

We also recommend the Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival, which is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage along with the Johana Hikiyama Festival, the Uozu Tatemon Festival, and the. Etchu-Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival, also bringing together traditional craft techniques, such as metal carving, lacquer work, and coloring.
 

The Gorgeous Mikurumayama Floats Illuminates the Castle Town

Mikurumayama, a collection of the best of Takaoka's traditional crafts such as metalwork and lacquerware, will be paraded around the city. The "Seizoroi-Shiki'' event in which all seven floats gather together is also a highlight.
 

Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival
Date: May 1st every year   Location: Yamachosuji/Katahara Town Area of Takaoka City
 

The Powerful Light of Lanterns Shines Against the Night Sky
"Tatemon'' is a 5-ton lantern with approximately 90 lanterns suspended from a large pillar approximately sixteen meters high. The "rotating dedication" run by young people is very impressive.
 

Uozu Tatemon Festival
Event Period: The first Friday and Saturday of August every year  Location: Suwa Shrine (Suwamachi, Uozu City)
 

A Colorful Culture Preserved by the People of Yaotsuo

Hikiyama, which are packed with traditional craft techniques from within the prefecture including Inami carvings, are a symbol of superior financial strength and aesthetic sense, and they are the culmination of the townspeople's culture.
 

 Etchu-Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival
Date: May 3rd every year   Location: Yatsuo Central  Area
 

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