5 Cultural Events in Gifu Prefecture That You Shouldn't Miss

The Furukawa Festival, or "Naked Festival" is one of Japan's more off-beat events. Its highlight is the Okoshi Daiko, in which throngs of young men dressed in only white linen "fundoshi" loin clothes drink down large quantities of rice wine before heading out into town to compete against one another in a race to place small drums on a central stage in town. The young men, who are separated into teams, are loud and amusing, and one of the more shocking sights (if the loincloths aren't enough) is the tradition of balancing team members atop large poles as they head towards the stage, singing.

The Tetsuya Odori is the highlight of the Gujo Odori dance festival. Taking place in heat of late summer, locals and visitors alike dominate to the evening streets to learn and perform Japanese traditional folk dances. Taking place over four days, dancers remain on the street energetically whirling from 8:00pm until dawn the following day. While any form of dress is welcome, shops and stalls rent out patterned yukata, and many guests don wooden 'geta' shoes that help to keep the rhythm and add to the beat of the music. It's a whirlwind of spirit and zeal, where strangers become friends and hundreds of people enjoy dancing like no one is watching.

Takayama in Gifu Prefecture is where the Spring Sanno Festival is held at Hie Shrine (April 14-15). It is also locally referred to as the "Takayama Festival (Spring)." Believed to originate in the late 16th through 17th centuries, the Go-junko is a festive march in which sacred palanquins are accompanied by lion dancers and those in ceremonial watchman's garb, in total some several hundred strong. Must-sees are the twelve luxurious sacred floats exhibiting the craft of the Hida region, as well as amazing dolls manipulated with seamless mastery born of years of practice. They are so vivid as to make modern-day robots seem rigid by comparison. Like its spring variant, the Autumn Hachiman Festival at Hachiman Shrine (October 9-10) is also called the "Takayama Festival (Autumn)."

Takayama in Gifu Prefecture is where the Autumn Hachiman Festival is held at Hachiman Shrine (October 9-10). The traditions of the Edo period have been scrupulously maintained even as eras change. Several hundred paradegoers dressed in traditional clothing perform court music and traditional dance as they transport the local shrine to its resting place. There are also special parade floats seen only in autumn. At night, they are lit with lanterns and paraded back to their storehouses while traditional songs are sung -- this is a true picture of Japanese seasonal tradition. Like its autumn variant, the Spring Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine (April 14-15) is also called the "Takayama Festival (Spring)."

The village of Shirakawago becomes a picturesque wonderland in the deep winter months, when many feet of snowfall transform the steepled roofs of its gassho-zukuri farmhouses into a fairy-tale landscape. To enhance this natural beauty, the village carries out illuminations on weekends during January and February. From 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., individual homes are lit from the inside, giving the streets a warm and cozy glow. From 8:00 p.m., the village itself is floodlit. Wander the enchanting streets, or take in a breathtaking view of the entire town by braving the road to Shiroyama Viewpoint.