Chichibu

秩父市ちちぶしChichibu-shi

Festival floats and pilgrim temples in Saitama's mountain basin

Chichibu is a mountain city in the basin of the upper Arakawa River in western Saitama, about 80 minutes from Ikebukuro by limited express. It is known for the Chichibu Night Festival, a UNESCO-listed float festival held each December, for its shrines and Kannon pilgrimage, and as the gateway to Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.

Overview

Chichibu lies in an enclosed basin ringed by mountains, with the limestone bulk of Mount Buko rising directly south of the town. The Arakawa River flows north through the basin and out towards Nagatoro and the Kanto Plain. Since a merger in 2005, the city reaches deep into the forested Oku-Chichibu mountains, taking in the Nakatsu gorge, the Mitsumine Shrine and the headwaters of the Arakawa within Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.

The basin was historically a world of its own, centred on the Chichibu Shrine and connected to the outside by mountain roads. From the Edo period it prospered on sericulture and silk weaving, its markets supplying Chichibu meisen fabric to the cities, and on limestone for cement in the twentieth century. It was also the scene of the Chichibu Incident of 1884, a major uprising of indebted silk farmers.

Today Chichibu is a popular weekend destination from Tokyo for its festivals, the 34 temples of its Kannon pilgrimage, the pink moss phlox fields of Hitsujiyama Park in spring, autumn colours in the valleys and a local craft culture that ranges from soba to whisky.

Landmarks

Chichibu Shrine
秩父神社Chichibu Jinja
The basin's chief shrine, rebuilt in 1592 on the orders of Tokugawa Ieyasu, with elaborate carvings including the 'chained dragon'.
Mitsumine Shrine
三峯神社Mitsumine Jinja
Mountain shrine at about 1,100 m in Oku-Chichibu, guarded by wolf statues and approached through old cedar forest.
Chichibu 34 Kannon temples
秩父札所Chichibu fudasho
Small temples scattered across the basin, forming a pilgrim route of roughly 100 km that can be walked in several days.
Hitsujiyama Park
羊山公園Hitsujiyama Kōen
Hillside park with fields of pink and white moss phlox (shibazakura) below Mount Buko in spring.
Chichibu Festival Hall
秩父まつり会館Chichibu Matsuri Kaikan
Museum next to Chichibu Shrine with festival floats and a projection of the night festival.
Wado copper mine site
和銅遺跡Wadō iseki
Site of the eighth-century copper find in the Kuroya district, marked by a giant replica of the Wado Kaichin coin.
Nakatsu Gorge
中津峡Nakatsu-kyō
Deep ravine in Oku-Chichibu known for its autumn colours.

Districts

Central Chichibu
The old market town around Chichibu Shrine, Banba-dori and the Seibu-Chichibu and Ohanabatake stations, with Showa-era shopfronts.
Otaki
大滝Ōtaki
The mountain district in the west with Mitsumine Shrine, the Nakatsu gorge and the Misotsuchi icicles in winter.
Yoshida
吉田Yoshida
Northern district, heartland of the 1884 uprising and home of the Ryusei rocket festival.
Arakawa
荒川Arakawa
Southern valley district along the upper river, with several pilgrimage temples.

History

The Chichibu Shrine is one of the oldest in Kanto, and the region's first recorded moment of national importance came in 708, when copper from the Wado area was presented to the court, giving its name to the Wado era and to one of Japan's earliest coins. The Chichibu clan, a warrior family of the Heian period, gave rise to several of Musashi's great medieval houses.

The Chichibu Kannon pilgrimage developed in the medieval period and was expanded to 34 temples to complete Japan's '100 Kannon' circuit together with the Saigoku and Bando routes. In the Edo period the basin's silk markets flourished, and the night festival grew as a celebration linked to the autumn silk market. The collapse of silk prices in the 1880s led to the Chichibu Incident of 1884. The railway reached the town in 1914 and the Seibu line from Ikebukuro in 1969.

708
Copper from Chichibu is presented to the court; the era is named Wado and the Wado Kaichin coins are cast.
15th century
The Chichibu Kannon pilgrimage is recorded; it later grows to 34 temples.
18th century
The night festival and silk market make Chichibu a regional trading centre.
1884
The Chichibu Incident: thousands of farmers rise against debt and taxation.
1914
The Chichibu Railway reaches the town.
1950
Chichibu receives city status.
1969
The Seibu Chichibu Line opens, linking Chichibu directly with Ikebukuro.
2005
Chichibu merges with Yoshida, Otaki and Arakawa.
2016
The Chichibu Night Festival is inscribed by UNESCO as part of Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals.

Culture

Chichibu's festival culture is exceptionally rich: its night festival is counted among Japan's three great float festivals, and neighbourhoods keep up music, kabuki and float-pulling traditions year-round. Chichibu kagura, the masked sacred dance of the Chichibu Shrine, is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The pilgrimage, the silk heritage and a strong local identity give the town a character distinct from the Tokyo suburbs only an hour away.

Festivals

Chichibu Night Festival
秩父夜祭Chichibu Yomatsuri
On 2–3 December: two kasaboko and four yatai floats, lit by lanterns, are hauled up the Dango-zaka slope under winter fireworks.
Chichibu Kawase Festival
秩父川瀬祭Chichibu Kawase Matsuri
Summer festival on 19–20 July, when young men carry a portable shrine into the Arakawa River for purification.
Ryusei Festival
龍勢祭Ryūsei Matsuri
In October at Muku Shrine in Yoshida, local guilds launch hand-made bamboo-and-gunpowder rockets.
Shibazakura Festival
芝桜まつりShibazakura Matsuri
From mid-April to early May, when the moss phlox of Hitsujiyama Park is in bloom.

Food

Waraji katsudon
わらじかつ丼waraji katsudon
Two large, thin pork cutlets dipped in sweet soy sauce on rice, named for their resemblance to straw sandals.
Miso potato
みそポテトmiso poteto
Fried potatoes in batter glazed with sweet miso, a local snack.
Chichibu soba
秩父そばChichibu soba
Buckwheat noodles from the cool mountain farms of the basin.
Pork pickled in miso
豚肉の味噌漬けbutaniku no misozuke
A traditional preserving method turned into a local speciality, grilled before serving.
Chichibu whisky
秩父ウイスキーChichibu uisukī
Single malt from a small distillery founded in 2008, which has gained international recognition.

Getting around

Seibu limited expresses run from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu Station in about 80 minutes.
The Chichibu Railway runs through the basin from Hanyu and Kumagaya via Nagatoro to Mitsumineguchi; in season a steam-hauled tourist train operates on the line.
Buses run from Seibu-Chichibu Station to Mitsumine Shrine and into the Oku-Chichibu valleys; services are limited and worth checking in advance.
The central sights – Chichibu Shrine, the festival hall and Hitsujiyama Park – are within walking distance of the stations.

Day trips

Nagatoro
長瀞Nagatoro
River gorge with the Iwadatami rock terraces and boat trips on the rapids, about 20 minutes by Chichibu Railway.
Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park
Mountain trails from Mitsumine to Kumotori-yama, Tokyo's highest peak, and the source of the Arakawa.
Kawagoe
The storehouse town of 'Little Edo' on the way back towards Tokyo.
Hachioji and Mount Takao
Across the mountains to the south, in Tokyo's Tama area.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalSaitamaSaitama-shiOmiya, Urawa and Iwatsuki joined as Saitama's capital Core cityKawagoeKawagoe-shiLittle Edo on Tokyo's doorstep

Frequently asked questions

When is the Chichibu Night Festival?

Every year on 2 and 3 December; the main event, with floats climbing the slope to the festival grounds and fireworks, is on the evening of 3 December.

How do I get from Tokyo to Chichibu?

Take a Seibu limited express from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu, about 80 minutes. Chichibu Railway trains continue to Nagatoro and Mitsumineguchi.

When do the moss phlox bloom at Hitsujiyama Park?

Usually from mid-April to early May, depending on the weather.

Can the Chichibu Kannon pilgrimage be done in a day?

Not in full: the 34 temples are spread over about 100 km, usually walked in four to six days or visited over several trips.

Sources

1.秩父市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 秩父市 (Chichibu City)
2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
3.秩父多摩甲斐国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
4.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO