Chichibu Night Festival 2026
One of Japan's three great float festivals: six lantern-lit floats are hauled up a steep hill in the December cold while winter fireworks burst overhead.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/12/02 05:00 – 2026/12/03
- Where
- Chichibu Shrine and central Chichibu City（1-3 Banba-machi, Chichibu City, Saitama）
- City
- Tokyo
- Getting there
- A few minutes' walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station; about 80 minutes by Limited Express from Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Chichibu Festival Committee / Chichibu Shrine
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- A few minutes' walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station; about 80 minutes by Limited Express from Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, date night
Highlights
- Six ornate floats and kasaboko hauled up the steep Dangozaka slope to the shrine
- About two hours of winter fireworks — a rarity for the cold season
- The night spectacle of lantern-covered floats moving through dark streets
Background & story
A UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event with over 300 years of history, the Chichibu Night Festival ranks among Japan's three great float festivals alongside Gion and Takayama.
Good to know
It is genuinely cold — dress for winter, and stake out a spot near Dangozaka before the floats begin their climb around 7pm on Dec 3.