Chichibu Yomatsuri (Night Festival)

Chichibu Yomatsuri (the Chichibu Night Festival) is the annual grand festival of Chichibu Shrine in Chichibu. The city sits in the mountains of western Saitama Prefecture. It is held every year on December 2 and 3, and the main night is December 3. Six huge wooden floats covered in lanterns are pulled through town to the beat of taiko drums, while fireworks go up over the city in the winter sky.

It is counted with Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Takayama Festival as one of Japan's three great float festivals. Records show it was already held in the 1660s. In 2016 it was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list as part of the Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals of Japan.

Chichibu Night Festival dates and schedule

The festival falls on the same dates every year, whatever the day of the week. The 2026 festival takes place on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3.

• December 2 (Yoimiya, eve): four floats are pulled around town from midday and again in the evening. A shorter fireworks display finishes around 8 p.m.

• December 3 (Taisai, main day): all six floats come out in the morning. After 7 p.m. the sacred procession and the floats leave Chichibu Shrine for the Otabisho, a hilltop resting place for the deity, arriving around 10 p.m. This is the peak of the festival.

• Fireworks on December 3: large displays, including starmine bursts, run from about 7:30 p.m. until about 10 p.m.

Exact float routes and times are printed in the official program each year. Check the schedule from the Chichibu Tourism Association or Seibu's festival travel page shortly before you go.

What to see at Chichibu Yomatsuri

The six floats

The festival has two kasaboko and four yatai floats, all designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties. Each is carved, lacquered and hung with embroidered curtains, and at night they glow with hundreds of paper lanterns. Teams in happi coats haul them by rope. The drummers inside play yatai-bayashi, the heavy rhythm that runs through the whole festival.

On some floats, wings fold out into a stage for Chichibu kabuki, performed by local amateur troupes. There are also hiki-odori dances by local dance schools, and kagura from Chichibu Shrine. Together these are a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

The procession to the Otabisho

The festival is tied to a local legend. Myoken, the deity of Chichibu Shrine, is said to meet the god of Mount Buko once a year on this night. Mount Buko is the peak that rises south of the city. The procession carries the deity from the shrine to the Otabisho, which faces the mountain. The floats' final climb into the Otabisho, with fireworks bursting overhead, is the moment most people come to see.

Fireworks in winter

Fireworks are a summer event almost everywhere else in Japan. In Chichibu they are part of the December festival, and the cold, clear air makes them sharp against the mountains. Stalls along the streets sell hot food and amazake, a sweet, warm rice drink.

For a fuller look at why the festival is worth planning a trip around, see why Chichibu Yomatsuri is worth it.

How to get to the Chichibu Night Festival from Tokyo

• Seibu Railway: the Laview limited express runs from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu Station in about 77 minutes. All seats are reserved, and extra trains run on December 2 and 3. Festival trains sell out, so book your limited express ticket well ahead.

• Local trains: if the limited express is full, Seibu local trains run to Seibu-Chichibu, usually with a change at Hanno.

• Chichibu Railway: connects Chichibu with Kumagaya on the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen. Ohanabatake and Chichibu stations are close to the festival area.

Seibu recommends the Chichibu City Hall parking lot and the area in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station as fireworks viewing spots.

Where to watch the floats and fireworks

The streets around the Otabisho are the most crowded place on the evening of December 3, so claim a spot early if you want to see the floats arrive. Carry cash for stalls and train tickets, and note that flying drones is prohibited during the festival. Many visitors stay in Tokyo and take a late train back, which means leaving before the last floats reach the Otabisho.

Visit Chichibu Shrine on a quieter day to see its carved shrine buildings properly.

If you are building a winter trip around festivals, this list of winter festivals for 2026–2027 covers other big events in December, January and February.