Chichibu Night Festival: One of Japan's Three Great Float Festivals

The "Chichibu Yomatsuri" (Chichibu Night Festival), held every year on December 2 and 3 in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture, as the annual grand festival of Chichibu Shrine, is a traditional event counted as one of "Japan's three great float festivals" alongside the Gion Festival of Kyoto and the Takayama Festival of Hida. Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, it is the great event that closes Chichibu's year, in which magnificent kasaboko and yatai floats parade through the town on a winter night while fireworks — rare in winter — colour the sky. Boasting a history of more than 300 years, it draws large crowds of spectators every year. It is also designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, a tradition continuing since the Edo period.

Magnificent Kasaboko and Yatai Floats

The stars of the Chichibu Night Festival are two kasaboko and four yatai floats, decorated with intricate carvings, gold leaf and hangings. Each weighs several tons, and the sight of them being pulled along lit by lanterns is solemn indeed. The climax of the festival comes when the yatai and kasaboko are hauled up the steep "Dangozaka" slope in one go, to the shouts of a great many pullers. At the moment the heavy floats finish the climb, cheers and applause erupt from the crowd and the festival reaches its peak. The procession runs from Chichibu Shrine to the temporary shrine (otabisho), and the spectacle of magnificently decorated floats moving through the winter night with their illuminations is breathtaking.

Fireworks Colouring the Winter Night Sky

Another highlight of the Chichibu Night Festival is the fireworks launched in winter. Great blooms open one after another in the clear winter night sky, and their joint performance with the lantern-decked kasaboko and yatai creates a dreamlike scene. Winter fireworks, in air that is dry and clear, captivate spectators with a vividness different from that of summer. The sound of the fireworks echoing around the basin ringed by the mountains of Chichibu merges with the heat of the night festival to create a winter spectacle etched deeply into the hearts of those who see it. The excitement of the night stalls adds further splendour, and local foods including dango, amazake and Chichibu soba are also enjoyable.

Best Season and Access

The Chichibu Night Festival is a two-day event limited to December 2 and 3, and December 3 in particular is the climax of the main festival. As it is a night festival in the depths of winter, thorough cold-weather preparation such as a thick coat and gloves is essential. For access, the nearest stations are "Seibu-Chichibu Station" on the Seibu Chichibu Line or "Chichibu Station" on the Chichibu Railway, and a day trip from the Tokyo direction is possible using a limited express. There is heavy congestion and traffic restrictions on the day, so public transport is the safe choice. At other times of year the actual kasaboko and yatai can be viewed year-round at the "Chichibu Matsuri Kaikan."

Practical Information (based on the most recent event = official information for 2025)

• Dates and times: The eve festival is on December 2 every year and the main festival on December 3. On December 2 the procession of four yatai runs until 20:00, and the yatai theatre of the Nakamachi float is held 18:00-21:00. On December 3 the six kasaboko and yatai process from early morning until the following morning, the yatai theatre runs 10:40-14:00, and the sacred procession sets out from Chichibu Shrine at around 18:00
• Climax: From just after 19:00 until around 22:00, when the floats arrive at the otabisho (Dangozaka)
• Fireworks: December 2, 19:00-20:00 (single shells and starmines, 370 in total); December 3, 19:30-21:55 (about 4,100 shells). They are launched within Hitsujiyama Park, and the main viewing places are along National Route 140 between the traffic light in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station and the Uenomachi intersection, the Chichibu City Hall car park, and the area in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station
• Nearest station: The reception point for the sajiki seating (23-4 Higashimachi) is a 5-minute walk from Ohanabatake Station on the Chichibu Railway and a 20-minute walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station on the Seibu Railway
• Parking: On December 2, temporary car park P3 (Miyaji Ground) is open 9:00-21:00, free of charge. On December 3 there are eight paid temporary car parks open 7:00-24:00 (some opening at 13:00), costing 5,000 yen for large vehicles / 3,000 yen for medium vehicles / 1,000 yen for ordinary cars / 500 yen for motorcycles. There is no advance reservation, and a fee is charged even for dropping passengers off
• Free shuttle buses (December 3): In front of the main gate of Chichibu Daiichi Junior High School ⇔ Miyagawa Children's Park, 10:00-23:00 / Kagemori Ground ⇔ Chichibu Library car park, 13:00-23:00
• Paid seating: The sajiki seating at the otabisho is run by the Chichibu Tourism Association. For December 3, 2025 only "second-floor standing places" were offered, at 8,800 yen per person (tax included). These are standing spaces rather than reserved seats, with one folding round stool lent free of charge. Applications were accepted by email only (in groups of roughly one to six people), and cancellations after payment are non-refundable. Reception and wristband distribution take place on site (23-4 Higashimachi) from around 10:00 on the day
• Toilets: Temporary toilets are installed
• Traffic restrictions: In force on December 2 and 3 in the festival area and the kasaboko and yatai procession area
• Crowding: Chichibu City advises that "the area around Dangozaka is very narrow, and it is almost impossible for anyone without a reserved seat to view from there." The Chichibu Tourism Association likewise states that "because large-scale traffic restrictions are in place, we strongly recommend using the railway" and that "the number of spaces in the temporary car parks is limited"

Detailed dates and seating information for 2026 will be announced closer to the event. Please check the Chichibu Tourism Association's official website before visiting.

📚 Sources

• Chichibu Tourism Association
• Chichibu City, "Chichibu Kanko Navi"
• Chichibu Night Festival sajiki seating application site