Discover Hubs of Spirituality and Historic Streetscapes

The building was built in 1930 and registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2001. At the Chichibu-Meisen museum, you can learn about the history of Chichibu-Meisen, view the exhibits, and try your hand at stencil dyeing and weaving. All the equipment displayed in the museum is still in use, and if you are lucky, you can even see it in action.

At the Chichibu Festival Museum there are exhibits displaying materials related to the booths and kasaboko (parade floats) of the Chichibu Night Festival, which takes place every year on the 2nd and 3rd of December. The booths, kasaboko, curtains, and sculptures made by Shōwa’s master craftsmen are arranged in a design based on Myōken beliefs. At noon, the lanterns are switched on to reproduce the night festival. While you are immersed in the luxurious booths and music of Chichibu, the kasaboko can be experienced right before your eyes.

Marking 2100 years since its establishment as a Sōja (shrine enshrining several gods) of Chichibu, Chichibu Shrine has been revered since ancient times. Shrouded in a forest of oak with an atmosphere of style and solemn beauty, the currently existing main building of the shrine was contributed by Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1592, and designated a tangible cultural property of Saitama Prefecture, due to the fact that it holds much of the Edo period’s early architectural style.

Banba Street is the cobblestone road leading to Chichibu Shrine, a nostalgic and popular spot for Chichibu residents. Many structures date from the early 1900s, with shops still operating in buildings which have been designated Registered Tangible Cultural Properties by the national government. The atmosphere of this road allows visitors to travel back in time to an earlier Japan.