Chichibu Day Trip from Tokyo: Laview, Nagatoro and the Night Festival

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Researched guide · Checked on Oct 20, 2026

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Chichibu is a mountain basin in western Saitama, about 77 minutes from Ikebukuro on the Seibu Laview limited express. It is known for pink moss in spring, river activities in summer, autumn leaves, and the Chichibu Night Festival in December, one of Japan’s three great float festivals. Nearby Nagatoro has striking layered rocks along the Arakawa River.

Getting there

• All seats on the Laview and Red Arrow limited express trains are reserved. You need a regular ticket and a limited express ticket. Buy the limited express ticket before boarding, or ¥200 is added.
• Suica, PASMO and the SEIBU 1Day Pass can be used as the regular ticket.
• The SEIBU 1Day Pass costs ¥1,500 for adults and ¥300 for children, on all Seibu lines except the Tamagawa Line. It is sold at Ikebukuro and Seibu-Shinjuku stations and online (EMot and Klook), for non-Japanese passport holders only.
• Seibu also sells the Chichibu Free Ticket, which combines a discounted round trip to Seibu-Chichibu with two days of unlimited rides in the Chichibu area.

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What to see

• Chichibu Shrine: the central shrine of the area, said to date back more than 2,100 years. Its main hall was donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu and is known for colorful carvings of a dragon and a tiger by Hidari Jingoro.
• Hitsujiyama Park: the best place in Chichibu for moss pink (shibazakura) in spring. The 2026 festival ran from April 3 to May 6.
• Hot springs by the station: a hot spring complex in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station has baths, a food court with local dishes and a souvenir shop.
• Mitsumine Shrine: a mountain shrine in Chichibu Tama Kai National Park, known for its wolf statues and decorated halls.

Nagatoro

Nagatoro, a short ride on the Chichibu Railway, is known for Iwadatami, wide layers of flat rock formed by the river eroding crystalline schist. The cliff on the opposite bank is called the “red wall of Chichibu”. The 6 km Nagatoro Gorge is a national natural monument.

• River boats: boat rides through the gorge run through the year, with heated tables in winter.
• Hodosan Shrine: the first shrine in Saitama to earn a star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan.
• Tsukinoishi Momiji Park: an autumn-leaves spot about 5 minutes on foot from Kami-Nagatoro Station, busy from early November to early December.

Chichibu Night Festival (December 2 and 3)

The Chichibu Night Festival is the annual festival of Chichibu Shrine, with more than 350 years of history. It was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016. Two kasaboko and four yatai floats, are pulled through the town to drum music, and fireworks light up the winter sky.

Day	Highlights
December 2 (Yoimiya)	Floats are pulled through town from the morning. Float pulling and fireworks end around 8 p.m.
December 3 (main day)	All six floats appear. The peak is from just after 7 p.m., when the procession leaves Chichibu Shrine, until about 10 p.m. Many fireworks are launched.

• Extra trains run on festival days, but limited express trains can sell out. Book early.
• Mobile signal can be weak around the station. Have your ticket ready and bring cash for food stalls.
• Drones and filming are prohibited at the festival.

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