Mikurumayama

　The Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival is held every year on 1 May. An ‘Mikurumayama’ is a float featuring a ‘hoko’ (a ceremonial pole), adorned with splendid and opulent decorations; it is listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 1588, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi was appointed Kanpaku (Chancellor) and built Jurakudai—a residence and fortress complex—in Kyoto, he invited the Emperor to visit the estate. It is said that the imperial carriage used for this imperial visit was bestowed upon Maeda Toshiie, the lord of the Kaga Domain, and later transferred to the townspeople by Toshinaga, the second lord of the domain, when he constructed Takaoka Castle.

　At the Takaoka Mikurumayama Kaikan, situated on Yamamachi-suji—a street lined with traditional earthen-walled shops and Western-style brick buildings—you can view this Mikurumayama at any time. Inside the hall, there is a music game called ‘Mezase Mikurumayama Ohayashi Meijin ’, which is incredibly difficult. You have to beat drums and ring bells in time with court music, but the scoring criteria are a mystery, and even the beginner mode is extremely challenging. Give it a go.