Every year, Takayama wears its festive heart on its sleeve through two major events, considered to be some of the finest festivals (matsuri) in Japan: the Sanno Matsuri in spring (14 and 15 April ...

Yuki Matsuri, Sapporo: the ephemeral art of snow ... In October, the town of Takayama in western Japan, renowned for its traditional wooden houses, turns into an open-air theatre for the Hachiman ...