By SHUHEI YAMASHITA/ Staff Writer
October 10, 2022 at 15:00 JST
The Autumn Takayama Festival is attracting many tourists as it is being held for the first time in three years in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, on Oct. 9. (Takaki Furusawa)
TAKAYAMA, Gifu Prefecture--After a hiatus of two years due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Autumn Takayama Festival returned to the city here featuring lavishly decorated floats and enthusiastic crowds.
The two-day festival began on Oct. 9. During that two-day run, the city will be filled with the sounds of traditional "ohayashi" festival music.
On the opening day, 10 towering “yatai” floats decorated with elaborate carvings and shiny ornaments were lined up around Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine in the center of the city.
The festival drew huge throngs of spectators with many people taking pictures of the magnificent floats.
The Takayama Festival, which dates back more than 300 years, is held in spring and autumn. It is registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
After the festival's end, the city is also hoping to receive a boost to the local economy from tourists participating in the new national travel discount program, which starts Oct. 11.
The government's subsidy program to promote domestic tourism will fund discounts on meals, shopping and accommodations.
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