Chichibu is located in a small basin in western Saitama Prefecture.
Hitsujiyama Park at the foot of Mt. Boku is famous for the creeping pink moss that bloom across its vast area in the spring.
Other attractions include water activities in summer and viewing the autumn leaves in fall.
Named to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list, the Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival) is one of Japan's three great float festivals. Held annually in December, its fireworks in the chilly night air are a beautiful sight.
Tourist Spots
Hitsujiyama Park
Spring is the best time to visit Japan! Welcome to Chichibu to enjoy Moss Pink (Shibazakura)! Moss Pink is a very famous spring flower, native to North America, with attractive pink and yellow blossoms. The best place to enjoy Moss Pink in the Chichibu area is Hitsujiyama Park.
Seibu Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsurinoyu
This hot spring facility complex located in front of Seibu-Chichibu station is based on the concept of the famous Chichibu festivals. The complex reveals the full charm of Chichibu, as it boasts a diverse hot spring area, a food court area offering a great variety of Chichibu delicacies, and a merchandise sales area selling specialty products that are perfect as souvenirs.
Chichibu Shrine
Built more than 2100 years ago, this central shrine of the Chichibu district is known for the annual Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival) is one of Japan's three great float festivals. The main hall, built in the Gongen shrine architectural style that began in the early Edo Period (1603–1867) and continues today, was donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu. It's well known for the brilliantly colored wood carvings of a dragon and a tiger, created by Hidari Jingoro.
Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival)
Known, together with Kyoto's Gion Festival and the Hidatakayama Festival, as one of Japan's three great float festivals, the annual Chichibu Yomatsuri evening festival held at Chichibu Shrine is Chichibu's best-known festival, with a history of more than 300 years. The Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival)'s booths and performances have been named as an important intangible folk-culture asset by the Japanese government and added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list as one of 33 traditional Japanese festivals.
Nagatoro Gorge (overlapping layers of flat rocks)
The overlapping layers of flat rocks make Nagatoro a popular sightseeing spot. The layers were formed when the fierce river current eroded the crystalline schist, exposing the bedrock. The rock wall on the opposite bank is known as the "red wall of Chichibu." Six-kilometer Nagatoro Gorge, which includes the overlapping layers of flat rocks and the red wall, is a national natural monument.
Nagatoro river rafting
At times gentle, at times thrilling, come enjoy the overlapping layers of flat rocks by river rafting! While listening to the enjoyable tales of the captain and guide, passengers enjoy views of cherry blossoms in spring, cooling breezes in summer, the river banks lined in fall colors in autumn, and a warm trip in heated tables in winter. It's an enjoyable trip for all ages.
Hodosan Shrine
Hodosan Shrine in Nagatoro is the first shrine in Saitama Prefecture to earn a star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. Attractions include its dazzling hall, legendary association with Prince Yamatotakeru, and scenery that's thrilling year round. It's said to be auspicious for luck with money and matchmaking.
Tsukinoishi Momiji Park
A famed spot for viewing Nagatoro's autumn foliage, Tsukinoishi Momiji Park is bustling with visitors during the autumn season, from early November through early December. Its convenient location is just a five-minute walk from Kami-Nagatoro Station on the Chichibu Railway.
Mitsumine Shrine
This shrine inside Chichibu Tama Kai National Park is known as a pilgrimage site of mountain worship in the Kanto region. A statute of a wolf welcomes worshippers at the entrance to the shrine grounds. In addition to the gorgeously decorated shrine hall, other attractions include the Zuijinmon gate, the separate prayer space removed from the hall, and a statue of Yamato Takeronomikoto. It's also known as one of the Kanto Region's top power spots.
Ashigakubo icicles
The Ashigakubo icicles can be viewed from early January through late February each year. Ranging to 30 meters in height and 200 meters in width, they present a fantastic vista of a world of ice. The icicles are illuminated on friday and weekend evenings, when the magical view of the color-changing icicles is like opening a jewel box in the wild.
Fruit picking
The Chichibu area is home to numerous fruit farms, where visitors can enjoy picking strawberries and grapes over a lengthy period. ･ Strawberry picking: There are about 20 strawberry farms located in Chichibu area where visitors can pick strawberries from January to mid-June. ･ Grape picking: There are about 30 vineyards in the Chichibu area allow you to enjoy grapes picking from mid-August through October. Varieties(such as Himrod, Chichibu mountain ruby, large purple-black grapes, and Shine Muscat, etc.) or Harvest times vary at each vineyard.
【Recommended Tour】Beyond Tokyo: The Wolves of Chichibu
This 4-day self-guided walking tour offered by the travel agency “Oku Japan” takes you on a spiritual adventure through Chichibu's ornate shrines and storied temples. Walk along forest trails and paved paths as you discover hidden nature and learn of the legends and myths associated with the area’s divine wolves.
If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-track adventure just a stone's throw from Tokyo, this one’s for you!
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