Chichibu
秩父市
Things to Do in and Around Chichibu
Located in the western part of Saitama Prefecture, Chichibu City is a nature-rich area surrounded by mountains. It is easy to visit on a day trip from the city center, and you can enjoy seasonal landscapes, traditional festivals, and tours of shrines and temples. With many hot spring facilities, it is also an ideal place to relax and refresh yourself.
Where is Chichibu?
Chichibu City is located in the northwestern part of Saitama Prefecture, about 80 km from central Tokyo. To the north it borders Gunma Prefecture, and to the west it adjoins Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures, with a mountainous region spreading across the prefectural boundaries. Within Saitama Prefecture, it is adjacent to municipalities such as Hannō City, Ogano Town, Yokoze Town, and Minano Town, and serves as the gateway to the surrounding area as the central city of the Chichibu Basin. Situated in the upper reaches of the Arakawa River and surrounded on all sides by mountains, it is an area rich in natural scenery.
Getting Around
You can reach Chichibu City in about 80 minutes from Ikebukuro Station by taking the Seibu Ikebukuro Line Limited Express “Laview” to its final stop, Seibu-Chichibu Station. On the way, you can enjoy the changing scenery from the train windows. There is also a route that uses the Chichibu Railway from Kumagaya Station, and on some days you can ride the SL “Paleo Express.” Buses are the main means of transportation within the city, but since the main sightseeing spots are concentrated around Seibu-Chichibu Station and Chichibu Station, it is also an area that is easy to explore on foot.
Loading map...
About Chichibu
Japan’s Three Great Float Festivals: The Chichibu Night Festival
Held every year on December 2 and 3, the Chichibu Night Festival is one of Japan’s three great float festivals, alongside Kyoto’s Gion Festival and the Takayama Festival in Hida. It is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and is a traditional event with a history of over 300 years.
Lavishly decorated festival floats (yatai and kasaboko) parade through the town at night, and at the climax you can witness the powerful sight of the floats surging up the steep Dango-zaka slope. The collaboration with fireworks launched into the winter night sky is truly spectacular. As more than 200,000 visitors from Japan and abroad come during this period, it is recommended to book accommodation well in advance.
Japanese Sake and Chichibu Whisky
Glass of Whisky / Photo AC
Chichibu is blessed with high-quality water and has long been a region known for sake brewing. There are several sake breweries in the city where you can enjoy Japanese sake brewed with local rice and Chichibu’s water.
In recent years, Chichibu-produced whisky has also been attracting worldwide attention. Venture Whisky’s Chichibu Distillery, known for Ichiro’s Malt, has won numerous awards at international competitions and is referred to among whisky enthusiasts as a “holy land of Japanese whisky.” Distillery tours require advance reservations, so if you are planning a visit, please check the official website for the latest information.
Pilgrimage to the 34 Chichibu Kannon Temples
Chichibu is home to the Chichibu 34 Kannon Temples, a sacred Kannon pilgrimage route that has continued since the Kamakura period. Together with the Saigoku 33 Temples and the Bandō 33 Temples, it forms the Japan 100 Kannon pilgrimage, which has long attracted pilgrims.
The total route is about 100 km, taking around 4–5 days to complete on foot, though it is possible to visit all the temples in 2–3 days by using a car or bus. Each temple has its own distinctive main hall and Buddhist statues, offering a valuable opportunity to experience Japan’s traditional pilgrimage culture, regardless of one’s personal beliefs.
Chichibu as an Anime Pilgrimage Site
Old Chichibu bridge, it is featured from Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Chichibu City is known as the setting for several popular anime works. In particular, it serves as the stage for titles such as “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day” (commonly known as Anohana), “The Anthem of the Heart,” and “Her Blue Sky,” making it a destination for many fans from Japan and overseas on anime “pilgrimages.”
Locations such as Chichibu Bridge, Hitsujiyama Park, and the area around Seibu-Chichibu Station appear in the works with scenery depicted almost exactly as it is in real life, making them special places for anime fans. Local shopping streets sometimes sell collaboration merchandise, allowing visitors to enjoy strolling around town while immersing themselves in the world of these works.