Touring Chichibu ・ From Ikebukuro to Saitama by Train
2021.07.10 |
From Tokyo to Chichibu
Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes (Express Train)
Tickets: one-way 790~1,500 yen/Chichibu 2-Day Pass 2,350 yen
Official Website (en)
▶ Basic one-way tickets cost 790 yen for regular trains, or 1,500 yen for a limited express ticket straight from Ikebukuro to Chichibu. The Chichibu 2-Day Pass includes one regular round-trip ticket, and you can pay the extra 710 yen to make it express if you prefer. It also gives you unlimited local rides around Chichibu, making it a convenient and pretty cost-effective choice!
1. Chichibu Shrine
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- Chichibu Shrine is one of three major shrines in the area, the other two being Mitsumine Shrine and Hodosan Shrine (which we'll get to later), and it's just two minutes from the station on foot! This flashy shrine was reconstructed on the orders of the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the eye-catching carvings are said to be the work of Hidari Jingoro, a possibly legendary artist famous for working on the world-renowned Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The scale might be different, but we think the tigers carved into Chichibu Shrine are equally beautiful!
Chichibu Shrine (秩父神社)
1-3 Banbamachi, Chichibu, Saitama
Official Website (jp)
- Chichibu Shrine is one of three major shrines in the area, the other two being Mitsumine Shrine and Hodosan Shrine (which we'll get to later), and it's just two minutes from the station on foot! This flashy shrine was reconstructed on the orders of the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the eye-catching carvings are said to be the work of Hidari Jingoro, a possibly legendary artist famous for working on the world-renowned Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The scale might be different, but we think the tigers carved into Chichibu Shrine are equally beautiful!
2. Chichibu Festival Museum
In early December each year, Chichibu celebrates their "Chichibu Night Festival," a tradition carried on for 300 years! During the celebrations, these heavily decorated and lantern-lit floats are carried through the city during lively festival parades. At the Chichibu Festival Museum (also called the Chichibu Matsuri Kaikan), visitors can catch a glimpse of the festivities no matter what time of year they arrive, and pick up a little information on the festival's history and traditions as well.
Chichibu Festival Museum (秩父まつり会館)
2-8 Banbamachi, Chichibu, Saitama
Official Website (en)
3. Buckwheat Fields
Talk about soba (AKA buckwheat) in Japan, and you're likely to hear all about the famous soba grown in Nagano or Fukushima, but it turns out there's a buckwheat hotspot a little closer to Tokyo! Fields of soba flourish in Chichibu, and not only are the noodles made with the soba delicious, but the flowering plants make for gorgeous scenery when the season's right!
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- If you're a fan of Japanese sake, we recommend getting your lunch at Sakezukuri no Mori, where you can not only eat soba, but also taste locally brewed sake, shochu, umeshu plum wine, and more!
Sakezukuri no Mori (酒づくりの森)
1432 Bessho, Chichibu, Saitama
Official Website (jp)
- If you're a fan of Japanese sake, we recommend getting your lunch at Sakezukuri no Mori, where you can not only eat soba, but also taste locally brewed sake, shochu, umeshu plum wine, and more!
4. The 34 Kannon Pilgrimage
5. Nagatoro
Hodosan Shrine (寳登山神社)
1828 Nagatoro, Chichibu District, Saitama
Official Website (en)
6. Onsen in Chichibu
All tired out after a long day of sightseeing in Chichibu? Whether you've decided to stay the night, or you just want to relax a little before heading back to Tokyo, Chichibu onsen are just the thing! We visited a little ryokan with just six guestrooms called Oyado Taketori for our hot springs bath, but travelers just visiting Chichibu for the day should check out Matsuri no Yu, which is an onsen facility neighboring the train station. Feel the day's fatigue melt away from your body in a steaming hot onsen bath, before hopping back on the train to Tokyo!
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- Basic Info
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Name Chichibu, Saitama (埼玉県秩父市) Station Seibu Chichibu Station Website https://www.seiburailway.jp/railways/tourist/english/sightseeing/recommend/chichibu_nagatoro/