Chichibu Night Festival
event
Event Dates
December 2nd, 3rd
Chichibu Night Festival, one of the three major Hikiyama festivals in Japan alongside Kyoto’s Gion Festival and Hida’s Takayama Festival, is the annual festival of Chichibu’s head shrine, Chichibu Shrine. It is held every year on December 2nd and 3rd.
Two luxurious “kasaboko” floats and four “yatai” floats are pulled on the day of the festival, with the climax of the festival on the night of the 3rd, when the giant floats, weighing to 20 tons, are pulled up a steep hill named “Dangozaka.”
The “Chichibu Night Festival Yatai Event and Kagura (Shinto music and dance)” were registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages in 2016.
Basic Information
Car: From Hanazono I.C. on the Kanetsu Expressway, use the Minano Yorii Bypass on Route 140.
Map
Nearby spots
If you're on the search for Chichibu souvenirs, look no further! At Jibasan Shoten they have a wide range of popular souvenirs from the Chichibu area, including vegetables from local farmers, unique area gems, and many goods including the local mascot character, Potekuma-kun. You can also find products to get a taste of daily life in Chichibu, or even find the perfect gift for your loved ones. We look forward to your patronage!
Chichibu Festival Museum exhibits materials related to the booths and kasaboko (combined umbrella and halberd carried on floats in some festivals) of the Chichibu night festival that takes place every year on the 2nd and 3rd of December. The booths, kasaboko, curtain, sculptures made by Shōwa’s master craftsmen are arranged in a design related to the Myōken belief. At noon, the lanterns are switched on to reproduce the night festival. Within the noise of the palatial Chichibu booth music, the luxurious booth and kasaboko can be seen right before your eyes.
The well at our brewery, "Bushūyama Jyōryūsui" (underground water) was established as one of the hundred best mineral water sources of the Heisei Era. If you bring a container, feel free to fill it up with water and take it with you!
Marking 2100 years, Gochinza, a Sōja of Chichibu, has been revered since ancient times. In a forest of oak, there is an atmosphere with style and solemn beauty. The existing main building of the shrine is a contribution of Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1592 and was designated as Saitama Prefecture’s tangible cultural property due to the fact that it holds much of the Edo period’s early architectural style.
This facility is a center for social mingling and tourism established from the early Meiji period merchant's inn, "Chichibu-Kan," which was renovated preserving as much of its original appearance as possible. The first floor is a free rest space with a large irori (sunken hearth) surrounded by rental boxes where citizens can display and sell their handicrafts and ceramics. Whether to search for tourist information or to mingle with the locals, we hope you will visit Hot Spot Chichibu-Kan!