Festival · Saitama
Chichibu Night Festival
秩父夜祭
A winter festival two hours from Tokyo, where six huge wooden floats covered in lanterns are pulled through the town of Chichibu on the night of 3 December while fireworks light up the cold sky.
When
2–3 December every year
- 2026 dates
- 2 – 3 Dec 2026
- Main days
- Thu, 3 Dec 2026
- Cost
- Free; some paid seats
- Crowds
- Extremely heavy on the evening of 3 December
- Time needed
- Floats all day on 3 December, climax and fireworks after dark
- Nearest station
- Chichibu (Chichibu Railway), about 3 minutes' walk to the shrine
In short
- The main day is always 3 December. The evening of 2 December is a smaller warm-up with a shorter fireworks show.
- The climax is the climb up Dangozaka, a steep slope near the festival grounds, where teams haul each float up while fireworks go off behind it.
- Nights in the Chichibu hills drop close to freezing. Wear a warm coat, gloves and a hat, and use hand warmers.
- Trains back to Tokyo are packed late at night. Book a seat on a reserved limited express, or stay the night in Chichibu.
- During the festival the town holds a silk market, a nod to Chichibu's past as a centre of silk making.
What happens when
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2 December | Eve festival: some floats out by day, fireworks for about an hour in the evening | Around Chichibu Shrine |
| 3 December, morning | All six floats, two kasaboko and four yatai, are pulled through town | Central Chichibu |
| 3 December, evening | Shrine procession and float climb up Dangozaka, with fireworks for two hours or more | Chichibu Shrine to the otabisho; fireworks from Hitsujiyama Park |
What the Chichibu Night Festival is
This is the yearly grand festival of Chichibu Shrine. A local legend says the shrine's goddess meets the god of Mt Buko, the mountain that rises over the town, once a year on this night, and the procession carries her towards him.
Two kasaboko and four yatai floats, heavy wooden carts carved and hung with lanterns, follow the procession to drums and flutes. Some yatai open their sides into stages for kabuki performances. The floats are part of a UNESCO intangible heritage listing.
Getting there from Tokyo
Take the Seibu Line limited express from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu, about 80 minutes, then walk to the town centre. The Chichibu Railway also runs to Chichibu Station, about 3 minutes' walk from the shrine.
Reserve limited express seats early, especially for the return. Extra trains run on 3 December, but crowds after the fireworks are huge.
Where it happens
Questions
When is the Chichibu Night Festival?
On 2 and 3 December every year. The main parade and the big fireworks are on 3 December.
Can I do it as a day trip from Tokyo?
Yes, it is about 80 minutes by limited express from Ikebukuro. Book your return seat early, as late trains fill up.
How cold is it?
Early December nights in Chichibu are often close to 0°C. Dress for standing outside for several hours.
Plan around it
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.
Facts checked 24 October 2026