An event with more than 300 years of history, held every year from September 1 to 3 in Yatsuo, Toyama City. It has been handed down as a festival to calm the damage of the winds and pray for a good harvest. Dancers in woven straw hats move gracefully through streets lit by bonbori lanterns, to the plaintive melodies of the shamisen and kokyu (bowed fiddle). There is no main venue; each of the 11 neighborhoods that carry on the tradition becomes a stage, with its own costumes, dances and songs.
Toyama / Tateyama Kurobe Alpine RouteToyama / Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route weather & what to wear →PRKlookToyama City Tour: Traditional Streets and Local HistoryAn 8-hour tour visiting the stone-paved streets of Etchu-Yatsuo, the Yatsuo Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, Toyama Castle and moreView on KlookPRKlookHave Fun in Toyama PassA sightseeing pass that lets you choose 3 from participating museums, experiences, rides, food and moreView on KlookPRKlookToyama Glass Art Museum & Kansui Park Private Tour with Wagashi MakingDeparts from and returns to Toyama Station. Stroll Fugan Unga Kansui Park, make wagashi and visit the Toyama Glass Art Museum with an English-speaking guideView on KlookThe biggest draw is the sight of dancers and jikata musicians quietly making their way through Yatsuo’s streets of slopes, stone paving and lattice-fronted houses. Each of the 11 neighborhoods has a different feel to its dances and costumes, so walking through several to compare them is recommended. In some neighborhoods, tourists can also join a circle dance at set times.
Official information for 2026. May end earlier depending on each neighborhood’s plans or safety decisions
Official information for 2026
Yatsuo Hikiyama Exhibition Hall. In 2026, 4,000 yen (tax included), 350 unreserved seats per show; sold out on all 3 days
Official information for 2026
Times can change from year to year. Check the official website for the latest information.
PRKlookToyama City Tour: Traditional Streets and Local HistoryAn 8-hour tour visiting the stone-paved streets of Etchu-Yatsuo, the Yatsuo Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, Toyama Castle and moreView on KlookPRKlookHave Fun in Toyama PassA sightseeing pass that lets you choose 3 from participating museums, experiences, rides, food and moreView on KlookPRKlookToyama Glass Art Museum & Kansui Park Private Tour with Wagashi MakingDeparts from and returns to Toyama Station. Stroll Fugan Unga Kansui Park, make wagashi and visit the Toyama Glass Art Museum with an English-speaking guideView on KlookAccommodation in Yatsuo is almost fully booked from September 1 to 3. Staying at a nearby onsen inn 15–20 minutes away by car or at a hotel in Toyama City is the realistic option
ExperienceChubu & Hokuriku ・ Toyama / Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
A torokko (open-air) train running from Unazuki Onsen deep into the Kurobe Gorge. Full-line service between Unazuki and Keyakidaira resumed on October 1, 2026, and you can ride all the way to the Keyakidaira terminus during the operating season until November 30. From the windowless open cars, you can enjoy the beauty of the gorge and the views from the railway bridges.
January–FebruaryChubu & Hokuriku ・ Shirakawa-go
Usually a few days in January–February (fully reservation-only)
2027 (41st): 4 days, Jan 11 (Mon, holiday), Jan 17 (Sun), Jan 24 (Sun) & Jan 31 (Sun)
AprilChubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
Usually the first Saturday and Sunday of April (Saturday is the Shigaku-sai, Sunday the Honraku-sai)
AprilChubu & Hokuriku ・ Takayama
Every year April 14 and 15
2027: Apr 14 (Wed) – Apr 15 (Thu), 2 days
April–JuneChubu & Hokuriku ・ Toyama / Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Usually mid-April (the day the Alpine Route fully opens) to late June
JuneChubu & Hokuriku ・ Kanazawa
Usually 3 days in early June (the Hyakumangoku Procession is on Saturday; June 5–7 in 2026, procession on June 6)
August
August
OctoberChubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagoya
Usually a Saturday and Sunday in mid-October
2026 (72nd): Oct 17 (Sat) – Oct 18 (Sun), 2 days (no Nagoya Festival processions)
OctoberChubu & Hokuriku ・ Takayama
Every year October 9 and 10
2026: Oct 9 (Fri) – Oct 10 (Sat), 2 days
Dates, times and access are based on official and other primary sources. Only dates confirmed by official sources are shown as “Confirmed dates”; otherwise the usual timing is given.
Last checked: 2026-10-02
