Takayama Festival is actually two festivals that take place annually in the city of Takayama: the Sanno Festival, in the spring, and the Hachiman Festival, in the autumn.The Spring festival is held to pray for a good harvest and the Autumn Festival is for giving thanks.
The centrepiece of both events is a collection of ornate floats or yatai of which 12 feature in the spring festival and 11 in the autumn festival. This stamp from 1964 shows one of them. The floats date back to the 17th century, and are decorated with intricate carvings of gilded wood, detailed metal work and embroidered drapery. The floats are moved around the city at night, escorted by people in traditional dress. Each float represents a district of Takayama.