"Chokeramaika" Great masquerade Bon dance

Summer in Japan is often assimilated to "bon dance".

However, here in Takayama we hold quite a special one at the end of July :

"Chokeramaika" Great masquerade Bon dance

"Chokeramaika" means in Hida dialect : "Won't you play around ?"
The main point of this event is the masquerade parade of its participants.
Funny, colorful, ridiculous, etc. people create teams and come wearing costume to participate at this big event. 

When : 2017 July, 29 ; from 19:00 to 20:30

Where : San-no-machi shotengai, only 7min from J-Hoppers

What to bring : your camera and smile 

Let's have fun together !

Obon odori and summer festival in Takayama

Summer is hot and full of festival in Japan !

Do you know "obon" ? It is a Buddhist custom to celebrate the ancestors. "Bon odori" means "bon dance", which is a dance to celebrate the ancestors' spirits. Each city has its own dance and music, but it is always constructed with a pattern which is repeated all along the song, and people usually dance in circles. Let's try to dance with locals !

In Takayama near the J-Hoppers Hida Takayama we will have a lot of opportunities to dance and wear yukata ! You should try to wear it at least once if you come to Japan during summer ! Yukata can be easily rented.

• Takayama Jinya Obon odori: 14th and 15th of August 2016
• 3mn from the hostel

• Takayama Bestuin Obon odori : 16th of August 2016
• 15mn from the hostel

• Takayama Ryokan Obon odori : 27th of August 2016
• 5mn from the hostel

Gero Onsen Festival

The Annual Gero Onsen Festival


At the beginning of every August in Gero Onsen (Hot Springs), over a period of three days, the town holds a series of festivals as gratitude to the gods for the coming rice harvest. 

This year we will be treated to an extra day!


August 1st (Wed)

from 07:30. Children's Mikoshi (Moving Shinto Shrine)
from 07:30.  High School Music Parade
from 19:30. Ryuujin (Fire Dragon) Fireworks Festival
inc. Huge Fireworks Finale

August 2nd (Thu)

from 18:30. Samba Float Parade (finishes at Yuno Shima Temple)
from 20:00. Gero Community Dance Festival & Fireworks

August 3rd (Fri) 

from 16:00. Harvest Gratitude Festival
from 20:00 - 20:45. Onsen Fireworks Musical  
from 20:45 - 22:30. Gero Dance Finale

August 4th (Sat) from 19:00 - 21:00. Singing Contest 
(Two men in competition to win the beautiful woman's heart!)