As the snow begins to melt in Colorado’s high country, many Denver residents start looking toward the mountains again — checking trail conditions, planning summer hikes, preparing climbing gear, and dreaming about long days spent above the tree line.
More than 5,700 miles away in our sister city of Takayama, Japan, communities in the Japanese Alps are preparing for their own mountain season in much the same way.
Each spring, Takayama welcomes the opening of climbing season with the Banryu Festival, a traditional celebration honoring the mountains surrounding the Hida region and praying for the safety of climbers entering Japan’s Northern Alps.
Each spring, Takayama welcomes the opening of climbing season with the Banryu Festival, a traditional celebration honoring the mountains surrounding the Hida region and praying for the safety of climbers entering Japan’s Northern Alps.
Held in Onoue Park beneath fresh spring greenery, the festival reflects a deep cultural connection between the people of Takayama and the alpine landscapes that shape daily life in the region. The event honors the holy priest Banryu, remembered for establishing mountain worship traditions connected to Mt. Yarigatake and Mt. Kasagatake — towering peaks that remain among Japan’s most beloved climbing destinations today.
For many in Denver, the rhythms of mountain life feel surprisingly familiar.
Like Colorado, Takayama is a community shaped by elevation, seasons, outdoor recreation, and reverence for the natural environment. Both regions understand the excitement that arrives with warmer weather and open trails. Both share traditions rooted in the mountains and communities that gather around outdoor culture.
Yet the Banryu Festival also offers something uniquely Japanese — a spiritual and cultural reflection on the relationship between people and nature.
The celebration begins with a Shinto ritual dedicated to the gods of the mountains, followed by traditional local performances including:
- 🐓 Torigei, a symbolic dance of fighting cocks and hens
- 🦁 Henbetori, a lion dance inspired by legends of defeating an evil serpent
These traditions have been passed down through generations and continue to connect the community to the mountains that surround them.
🌄 Surprise — Denver Has Mountain Parks, Too
Many people are surprised to learn that Denver itself owns and maintains an extensive mountain park system in the Rockies and foothills west of the city.
Established more than a century ago, Denver Mountain Parks includes thousands of acres of alpine landscapes, forests, trails, scenic overlooks, and recreation areas managed by Denver Parks & Recreation.
As climbers and hikers in Takayama prepare for the Northern Alps climbing season, Denver residents begin returning to Colorado’s own mountain spaces — places like:
- 🌲 Genesee Park
- 🏔 Echo Lake Park
- 🎶 Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
- 🚵 Denver’s mountain trail systems and scenic parkways
These parks were created to ensure Denver residents could remain connected to the mountains and natural landscapes that define Colorado’s identity.
That shared relationship with mountain culture is one of the many things that continues to connect Denver and Takayama today.
In both places, mountains are more than scenery. They shape traditions, recreation, spirituality, community identity, and seasonal rhythms of life.
As Denver prepares for another summer in the Rockies, our friends in Takayama are preparing for their own climbing season in the Japanese Alps — with ceremonies, festivals, and traditions that reflect both the beauty and the responsibility of living among the mountains.
Whether in Colorado or Japan, spring reminds us that the mountains are calling once again.
🔗 Learn More
🇯🇵 Hida Takayama Official Tourism Site
🗾 Explore Japan’s Northern Alps
🤝 Get Involved
Whether you are passionate about cultural exchange, mountain traditions, environmental stewardship, travel, education, or simply building friendships across borders, the Denver–Takayama relationship offers countless ways to get involved. Join Denver Sister Cities International and the Takayama Committee as we continue strengthening connections between Colorado and Japan through community events, cultural programs, volunteer opportunities, student exchanges, and shared experiences that span generations and continents. From the Rockies to the Japanese Alps, friendship continues to grow — one story, one exchange, and one season at a time.
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