the Takayama Autumn Festival will be held.
As I have explained a little previously (rainy spring festival)
the day of the festivals are fixed whether or not
it rains on both days.
The main shrine for the autumn festival is "Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine"
and the festival will take place on the northern area of the old town.
The 11 floats will be gathered and lined up in front of the shrine,
and they will parade around the northern area during the day time
and also the night time.
After it gets dark, hundreds of lanterns will light the floats
which enhances the beauty of the floats showing up in the darkness.
Since it rained for the whole two days during the spring festival this year (2015),
I was only able to view the floats kept inside the storehouse.
The forecast says that both days will be two fine days
and I'm hoping and praying for the weather to stay as they are forcasted.
The Takayama Festivals are said to have begun about 400 years ago.
The Autumn Festival is held to thank the good harvest.
(where as the Spring Festival is held to wish for the year's good harvest)
People of Takayama, especially those who live in the old town area
has so much pride in keeping these beautiful floats and has taken
care of them for generations.
Before the floats were considered the Important Cultural Property of the nation,
the townspeople paid bunches by themselves
to maintain and repair these floats by themselves.
Can't wait to see the details of these traditional floats on the festival days.
"Changing" can happen in one day,
"unchanging" needs patience and time.
高山の秋祭りは
１０月９日、１０日に開催されます。
以前お伝えしたように（雨の山王祭）
二日間雨が降っても、祭の日程が変更になることはありません。
秋祭りは「桜山八幡宮」の例祭であるため、
八幡祭とも呼ばれ、町並みの北側で開催されます。
八幡祭では、１１台の屋台の曳き揃えや曳き回しが、日中、そして
夜間にも行われます。
暗くなった後は、
いくつもの提灯が屋台をより美しく浮かび上がらせ
幻想的な宵祭を楽しめます。
春祭り（山王祭）では、二日間とも雨だったため、
蔵に納まったままの屋台しか見ることができませんでした。
予報では、二日間共晴れになっています。
どうかそのまま予報が当たりますように！！
高山祭は４００年ほど前に始まったと言われています。
秋祭りは収穫を祝うための祭です。
（春は良い収穫を祈る祭）
高山の人々、特に古くから町並みに住んでいる人々は
とにかくこの「屋台」にプライドを持ち、
文化財に指定される前は自分たちで高額を出し合い
修繕し、屋台を守ってきました。
この歴史のある美しい屋台をしっかり観てきたいと思います。
「変わること」は時に容易いですが
「変わらないこと」は年月と労力がいりますね。
townspeople preparing the floats for the Autumn Festival
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