Published October 20, 2026 at 2:24 PM JST

Each April the small town of Hida-Furukawa in Gifu pairs a spirited drum procession with a graceful parade of nine yatai floats, all within walking distance of its quiet canal streets.

Quick answer: The Furukawa Festival is the spring festival of Keta Wakamiya Shrine in Hida-Furukawa, Gifu Prefecture, and it is usually held on April 19 and 20. It is known for the Okoshi Daiko, a drum procession carried by hundreds of men in white wraps, and for nine decorated yatai floats that parade by day and glow with lanterns at night. Organizers set the exact programs each year, so check the official Hida city information before traveling.

A Small Town With a Big Spring Festival

Hida-Furukawa sits in the mountain country of northern Gifu Prefecture, a short train ride from the better-known town of Takayama. Where Takayama can be busy, Hida-Furukawa is calm, and a visitor guide describes it as quieter, slower and less staged for tourists. Then, every spring, the town fills with the sound of drums and the glow of lantern-hung floats, and the whole community turns out for the Furukawa Festival.

The festival is the annual spring celebration of Keta Wakamiya Shrine, as most sources describe it. Tourism pages list the dates as April 19 and 20 every year, and some tourism listings for specific years show slightly different day counts around those dates, so the safe approach is to confirm the current schedule through the Hida city tourism office or its website before making plans. The festival is free to watch and is a viewing event rather than one that visitors join.

Local pride runs deep here. Neighborhood groups, which tourism pages call boroughs, take part with their own drums and floats. The result is an atmosphere that feels intimate, with families, neighbors and visitors sharing the same narrow streets.

History and Origins

A visitor listing describes the festival as more than four hundred years old, which fits the idea of a long-running shrine festival linked to the spring season of the local deity. The listing is general, and most pages do not name an exact founding year, so it is safer to say the tradition is several centuries old than to pin it to a precise date.

Over time the festival grew into two parts that complement each other. One is the energetic Okoshi Daiko, a ritual drum procession. The other is the calmer parade of yatai floats built by the region's master craftspeople. Together they present both sides of the town's character, bold and refined.

The Furukawa Festival has been recognized as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Its yatai and its Okoshi Daiko are also included in the Yama, Hoko and Yatai float festivals listed by UNESCO, which recognizes the shared tradition of communities caring for festival floats.

The Nine Yatai Floats

Hida-Furukawa has nine yatai, according to two tourism listings. They are described as the work of Hida's master craftsmen, and they are decorated with great care. Each is pulled from its own warehouse for the festival, according to a tourism listing.

A visitor listing says that two of the floats feature karakuri ningyo, mechanical puppets moved by strings and gears rather than electricity, and that one float stages a children's kabuki performance of the story of Benkei and Ushiwakamaru, a well-loved tale from Japanese history. The idea that children perform on top of floats is a special part of the festival.

The floats are brought out on the morning of the second day to parade through the town. On the first day, according to a tourism page, they are pulled from their storehouses and paraded in their own neighborhoods. The details of who goes where change a little each year, so timetables are usually posted shortly before the festival.

What Happens During the Festival Days

A tourism listing outlines the shape of the festival. On the first day, April 19, the shrine's deity is moved into a portable shrine, called a mikoshi, and carried through the streets before resting at a temporary location. The procession includes traditional music and lion dances. On the second day, April 20, the deity returns to Keta Wakamiya Shrine in a second procession, and the yatai move to set positions where performances such as puppet shows are staged.

On the evening of the first day comes the Okoshi Daiko, the event many regard as the festival's most dramatic moment. On the second evening, the lantern-lit yatai make a final procession through town, which closes the festival in a more peaceful mood. One tourism article describes that final lantern parade as a slow movement of illuminated floats along streets lined with latticed windows, giving visitors a sense of traveling back in time.

A recent travel article reports that the festival has been certified as a Night View Heritage of Japan. Visitors who enjoy photography or quiet evening walks may find the lantern parade especially memorable. As with all details, check current information for the year you plan to visit.

Okoshi Daiko and Festival Music

The Okoshi Daiko is the festival's thrilling highlight. A listing describes one very large drum set on a platform, carried by hundreds of men who wear simple white wraps called sarashi. Smaller drums, called tsuke daiko, represent the different boroughs of the town. Groups of men carry these smaller drums on round logs and try to attach them to the large drum, which is a symbolic contest and a lively sight. The big drum is played by two drummers who sit astride it, and being chosen for that role is described as a great honor for local men.

The event runs late into the night. Because the crowd is close to the action and the streets are narrow, visitors are advised to stay well back, follow staff instructions and watch the ground, as there are roadside ditches in some places. Treat the drum procession as a performance by the community that is best admired from a respectful distance.

Other music in the festival comes from the processions that accompany the mikoshi and the yatai, with flutes, drums and lion dance music filling the town in the daytime. The sound of the festival changes from steady to roaring and back again, depending on the moment.

How to Enjoy It as a Visitor

Hida-Furukawa Station is on the JR Takayama Line, and a visitor guide says the trip from Takayama is roughly fifteen minutes by train. A tourism listing says the station is about a five-minute walk from the main festival streets. Wi-Fi and information are available at some tourist information spots in town, and printed English guides are offered at tourist counters according to the same listing.

Rain does not usually cancel the festival, but some portable shrines and floats may be affected, according to that listing. Spring evenings in the mountains can be chilly, so bring warm layers. Arrive early for a good viewing spot, and because rooms in Hida-Furukawa are limited, many visitors choose to stay in nearby Takayama and travel by train.

If your visit does not coincide with the festival, a hall in town called the Hida Furukawa Festival Exhibition Hall presents the festival year-round. A tourism page says it displays three full-size yatai along with related items and a 4K film. It is an excellent way to see the craftsmanship up close and understand how the festival works.

Town Highlights and the UNESCO Listing

The town itself is worth exploring. A visitor guide describes white-walled storehouses lining the Seto River, where carp swim through the water; residents move the carp to a pond in winter and bring them back to the river in spring. A walk along the canal is a gentle complement to the festival's excitement.

Hida-Furukawa is also close to Takayama, so many visitors combine the two, especially in April, when Takayama's spring festival is held a few days earlier. Takayama is known for its old merchant streets, morning markets and Hida beef.

UNESCO describes the Yama, Hoko and Yatai float festivals as community traditions in which people of all ages and genders share responsibility for preparing and running the events, with skills handed down from older members to younger ones. The Furukawa Festival is a fine example, since boroughs, families and craftspeople all play a part in keeping it alive.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Hida Furukawa Festival?

It is usually held on April 19 and 20 each year. The Okoshi Daiko is typically on the evening of the first day and the lantern-lit yatai parade on the evening of the second. Organizers set the final schedule, so check the official Hida city tourism information.

How many yatai floats are there?

According to tourism listings, there are nine yatai in the Furukawa Festival. Some of them feature karakuri puppets or children's kabuki performances.

How do visitors get to Hida-Furukawa?

The town has a station on the JR Takayama Line, and the festival streets are a short walk from it. A visitor guide says it is about fifteen minutes by train from Takayama.

Further reading: a tourism listing for the Furukawa Festival, a festival overview with the schedule and drum details, an article on the festival's Night View Heritage certification and a visitor guide to Hida-Furukawa town life.

Keep exploring: Takayama Festival: Twice-a-Year Floats in a Preserved Mountain Town; Johana Hikiyama Festival: Squeaking Wheels and Teahouse Songs; Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival: Seven Lacquered Floats on May Day; Uozu Tatemon Festival: Lantern Boats That Glow on a Toyama Summer Night.