Featured Hotels Near Arimatsu Float Festival

Stay at Hotel Sunroute Plaza Nagoya, located just 15 minutes from Yōsō District via bus. This modern hotel offers spacious rooms with city views and easy access to the festival grounds. Many guests appreciate its proximity to local attractions, including the historic Yōsō Market and the traditional weaving workshops.

For a more immersive experience, consider staying at a ryokan (traditional inn) nearby, which often provides free yukata rentals, communal baths, and seasonal kaiseki meals. Some properties even offer shuttle services during the festival period, ensuring hassle-free travel between your accommodation and event venues.

The easiest way to reach the Yōsō Flower Car Festival is by taking the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line to Yōsō Station—just a 5-minute walk from the main festival site. From Nagoya Station, transfer to the subway or Meitetsu trains; the journey takes about 25 minutes.

During the festival, special shuttle buses run every 10–15 minutes between major stations and key event zones, with multilingual announcements. Many hotels also provide complimentary pick-up services. Use a Suica or ICOCA card for seamless transfers across public transit systems, saving time and simplifying payments.

The highlight of the festival is the handcrafted flower car procession, a tradition dating back over 100 years. Visitors can participate in workshops to paint miniature flower cars using traditional lacquer techniques and paper collage art.

Explore the Yōsō Textile Museum, where you’ll learn about the famous "Yōsō Katori-ori" weaving pattern through interactive exhibits. The museum also hosts live demonstrations and allows visitors to try on authentic kimono and festival attire.

At night, enjoy the enchanting lantern festival, where hundreds of handmade paper lanterns illuminate the streets. Local vendors serve limited-edition treats like flower-car-shaped mochi and miso-flavored curry rice—perfect souvenirs to take home.

Absolutely! The festival is ideal for families. Children love the mini flower car crafting station, where they create their own small decorative vehicles under expert guidance.

There’s also a kids’ parade zone, where young participants can wear special festival yukata and join a short procession, earning a "Junior Car Artist" certificate. Interactive activities include puppet shows, umbrella painting, and educational digital displays explaining the history of flower car craftsmanship.

All events feature multilingual signage and audio guides, making it easy for international families to engage. Parents can also visit the Yōsō Heritage Center, which includes touch-screen exhibits perfect for kids learning Japanese culture through play.

Head to the Yōsō Market and Flower Car Avenue, where over 50 stalls line the streets offering genuine Nagoya cuisine. Must-try dishes include miso katsu (sweet miso-fried pork cutlet), takoyaki (octopus balls), and soy sauce ramen.

Look out for festival-exclusive items: flower car-shaped manju filled with red bean and matcha paste, and limited-edition curry rice made with house-special sauce and aromatic spices. Most stalls accept electronic payments and offer English menus.

After the festival, some vendors share recipes online—perfect for recreating the flavors at home. Arrive early to avoid long lines, especially around peak lunch hours.

The Yōsō Flower Car Festival takes place annually during the second weekend of October, lasting two days—typically Saturday and Sunday. Events run from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with stunning evening illuminations.

General admission is free, but certain experiences such as craft workshops and kimono fitting sessions require advance registration or on-site ticket purchase. Reserve spots via the Nagoya Tourism Association website to secure your place.

A QR code entry system is used for quick access. For better viewing positions, arrive before 9:00 AM. Some hotels offer premium packages with early-entry privileges and guided tours.