April 14-15 and October 9-10
Held twice a year in Japan, in the spring and the autumn, the Takayama Festival is
famous for its elaborately decorated yatai, festival floats.
These were first used at Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, and later appeared in other parts of the
country.
Twelve of these floats appear at the April festival, held at Takayama's HiE Shrine, and 11
participate in the October festival at the Sakuragaoka-hachimangu Shrine.
They are so highly decorated-with beautiful fabrics, lacquered wood, and patterned
metals-that they are often referred to as "Yomeimon in motion," a reference to the
famous gate at the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko.
Some yatai feature performances of kabuki, puppet plays, often performed by cleverly
designed mechanical marionettes.
A highlight of the festival is the parade of metal gongs known as tokeigaku, which
produce a unique kind of folk music.
There is also a Shishi-mai, or Lion Dance, originally used by Japanese farmers to ward
off wild boars and other animals that threatened their crops.
Full story:
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Takayama+Matsuri
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