Isurugi Hikiyama Festival

The Isurugi Atago Shrine Spring Festival, better known as the Isurugi Hikiyama Festival, dates back to the day of the samurai and the craft artisans who were invited here by the feudal lords who ruled over this area. These floats have traditionally belonged to eleven different neighborhoods of the town, and were originally fairly plain. As time went on, though, and techniques evolved amid cultural exchange, these eleven floats eventually became elaborate demonstrations of local craft industries, like woodcarving from Inami, lacquerware techniques from Inami, and metalworking from Takaoka.

On April 29 of each year, these eleven floats start the day lined up at the Oyabe Shimin Koryu Plaza, then make their way around town. Visitors can enjoy a town-wide atmosphere filled with traditional festival music, the chants of the people pulling them, and the squeaking of the wheels as they roll down the street and turn corners. Then, in the evenings, the floats are lit by lanterns, giving them a magical new feel for a spectacle that can’t be experienced during the day.