Chichibu Night Festival
MatsuriKanto(Saitama)
Annual eventDates
2026-12-02 — 2026-12-03
Venue
Chichibu Shrine and surrounding streets
Admission
Free
Crowd Level
Extremely crowdedOne of Japan's three great float festivals, featuring massive illuminated floats and fireworks.
Chichibu Night Festival is one of Japan's three great float festivals, held on December 2-3 each year. Six massive ornate floats weighing up to 20 tons are pulled through the streets to the accompaniment of taiko drums and festival music. The climax on December 3 features the dramatic hauling of floats up a steep slope at Dantuzuka, illuminated by fireworks in the winter sky.
Highlights
Six massive floats hauled up the steep slope at Dantuzuka; Winter fireworks display lasting over two hours; Traditional kabuki performances on the float stages
Access
Take the Seibu Railway from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu Station (about 80 minutes by limited express). Chichibu Shrine is a 5-minute walk from the station.
Tips for Visitors
December 3 is the main festival day. Dress warmly as temperatures can drop below freezing. Train services run late on festival nights. The fireworks start around 7:30 PM and last until 10 PM.