応仁の乱以前より「鷹つかい山」として巡行した山鉾のひとつである。
江戸時代に曳山となり、天明の大火で罹災、寛政年間に現在の「北観音山・南観音山」と同様の大屋根を持つ曳山として復活したが、文政年間に大風雨により大破し、巡行を取りやめた。その後復活を果たせず、幕末の蛤御門の変にて大半の部材が焼失。ただ、人形3体は焼失を免れ、後祭の宵山に居祭として、木彫の「鷹」「犬」と共にお町内にてお飾りを続行。復興を目指して令和元年（2019）より唐櫃巡行（からびつじゅんこう）に加わり、令和4年（2022）、196年ぶりに巡行復帰を果たした。

The Taka-yama float has been a participant in the Yamahoko float procession at Gion Matsuri for most of its history since ancient times. The description of this float, with the name Taka-tsukai-yama, appears in a document from the 15th century, indicating the long history that it boasts.
Originally, the float was carried on people’s shoulders during the procession. Then, during the Edo period, large wheels were attached to it so that it could be towed. The float was once ravaged by the massive fire that burnt Kyoto down in 1788, but was reconstructed with a magnificent large roof at the end of the 18th century. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, it was wrecked once again, this time due to a great storm disaster. Since then, Taka-yama has not been able to participate in the float procession. To make things worse, almost all of the float parts were destroyed in a fire caused by a civil conflict that broke out in 1864. On this occasion, however, the three dolls that had been displayed in Taka-yama over generations—Taka-jo, Inu-kai and Taru-oi—escaped damage. Residents of the district housing Taka-yama have since participated in the festival by displaying these dolls at the procession eve called Yoiyama.
However, in 2019 they resumed their participation, just carrying “karabitsu,” a sacred chest with a hanging scroll that has the name of a deity of Yasaka Shrine written on it. In 2022 Taka Yama has been able to come back to the procession with its fully decorated float for the first time in 196 years.

* Karabitsu: a box that contains sacred items associated with Taka-yama