Chichibu — A December Night, and Floats Hauled Up a Hill

Why visit

The Chichibu Night Festival takes place on 2 and 3 December as the grand festival of Chichibu Shrine (C001). It is a winter festival, with fireworks (C008). Its climax, by the city's own account, is the moment when two kasaboko and four yatai floats (C002) are hauled up the steep Dango slope (C009).

"The float ceremony and kagura of the Chichibu Festival" was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property on 3 February 1980 (C004), and in 2016 it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List as one of the Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals (C005). It is counted among Japan's three great float festivals, alongside Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and Hida's Takayama Matsuri (C006).

Who it is for

• Travellers in Japan in December who want a festival that is not a summer festival.
• Travellers who can come between mid-April and early May — the town has a second season for an unrelated reason.

What to do

Winter (2–3 December). The yatai floats unfold into stages where kabuki is performed (C003). Kagura is danced on the 3rd and the 6th, in a structure and lineage distinct from Edo kagura (C007). The festival grew alongside the silk market held at Chichibu Shrine in the Edo period (C010) — there is a textile economy behind the spectacle.

Spring (mid-April to early May). The moss phlox hill in Hitsujiyama Park: about 17,600 square metres, ten varieties, more than 400,000 plants (C011, C012). The hill overlooks the town and marked its 25th anniversary in 2026 (C021). To the east stands Mount Buko, the symbol of Chichibu (C014). Dr Honda Seiroku took part in the park's design (C015).

The park also has a petting farm with Corriedale sheep (C016), and its lookout hill holds the Yamato Art Museum and the Mount Buko Museum (C017).

How to get there

• To Hitsujiyama Park: about 20 minutes on foot from Seibu-Chichibu Station, or from Ohanabatake Station on the Chichibu Railway (C018)
• By car: about 25 km from Hanazono IC (Kan-Etsu Expressway), about 39 km from Sayama-Hidaka IC (C019)
• Parking during the moss-phlox season (10 April – 6 May): 700 yen for cars, 300 for motorcycles, 3,000 for large buses, 2,000 for minibuses (C020)

Costs

In 2026, admission to the moss phlox hill is 500 yen (400 for groups of 20 or more; free for children through junior high). It is charged from 10 to 30 April, 8:00–17:00, and free from 1 May (C013).

Limitations and cautions

• Admission, charging period and peak bloom for the moss phlox change from year to year. Re-check the official page before travelling.
• Rail journey times from Ikebukuro or central Tokyo were not obtained in this round.
• Paid seating, traffic restrictions and accommodation pressure around the festival are not researched. Demand over the two festival nights may be high, but this is unconfirmed.
• Chichibu's hot springs, local food and Chichibu meisen silk are not yet researched.
• The height of Mount Buko and its trails are unverified.