Hida Takayama Matsuri no Mori is a museum featuring six lavish festival floats created for the Heisei era, displayed inside an underground dome excavated into a mountainside.
Surrounded by moving lights that create a dreamlike atmosphere, visitors can watch the floats’ intricate mechanical performances, known as karakuri, which take place every ten minutes. These fascinating displays are a highlight of the museum.
The adjacent World Insect Museum exhibits butterflies collected from around the globe. Highlights include the Gifu butterfly, a rare species discovered in Gifu Prefecture.
The museum houses beautiful artifacts associated with the Takayama Festival, including elaborate festival floats and folding screens, inside a special underground space known as the Geo Dome. The collection is displayed within the mountain’s bedrock, an approach designed to protect delicate works of art, particularly wooden crafts and lacquerware.
The underground environment helps shield the exhibits from harmful external factors, including ultraviolet rays, electromagnetic waves, radiation, and significant fluctuations in temperature and humidity. As a result, the displays do not require glass cases, allowing visitors to admire the intricate craftsmanship up close.
The dome-shaped space also offers structural advantages, including protection for visitors during major earthquakes comparable in scale to the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
Address: 1111 Chishima-machi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Telephone: 0577-37-1000
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: Adults: ¥1,000; Children: ¥600
Parking: Space for 200 vehicles
By car: Approximately 10 minutes from Takayama Station on the JR Takayama Main Line.
By bus: From Takayama Station, walk to the Takayama Nohi Bus Center and take the Sarubobo sightseeing bus. Get off at the Takayama Matsuri no Mori stop; the ride takes approximately 24 minutes.