CHICHIBU NIGHT FESTIVAL: A LOVE STORY RETOLD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- 2023 Dec 03 Sun 60°F -- The Chichibu Night Festival is one of the three best float festivals in Japan, along with the Kyoto Gion Festival and the Hida Takayama Festival. It is a Shinto festival that is listed both on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list and Japan’s List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.
On the night of Dec 03, the grand finale of the festival, the love story of Myōken, the female deity of Chichibu Shrine, and the male dragon God of Mt. Buko is retold in a magnificent show of floats and fireworks. According to legend, the dragon God is officially married to Yasakatome-no-kami, the deity of Suwa Shrine, but he is in love with Myōken. Every year, on the night of Dec 03, Myōken travels to see Suwa and asks for a night with her lover. If granted, they meet at Kamenoko Rock in Otabijo, where a statue of a turtle is enshrined. Otabijo is now Chichibu Park, near Chichibu City Hall.
There are 6 floats, each representing a district: 4 portable shrines (yatai) and 2 flower parasols (kasaboko). All floats are gorgeously decorated with tapestries, gilded wood carvings, and paper lanterns (bonboris 雪洞). At night, the floats come to life, illuminated with bonboris, while the fireworks paint the dark sky with fiery colors, and the synchronized chanting of "wasshoi" and "banzai" makes the night festival incredibly energizing and fun. This is an extraordinary festival where the entire community comes together to play and pray for their Shinto deities.
Very interesting and wonderful footage! 👍👍Thanks for sharing! 😊😊🐷
Thank you, my friend. Keep on traveling while we can! Wasshoi ... Wasshoi -:)
Your video is great, thank you for sharing - I'm hoping to go myself this year. Was looking at accommodation and it seems like that is impossible to book. Were the trains easy to arrange and how far in advance did you book them? My first trip to Japan so I have a lot of questions!
Chichibu is a small valley, 80-90 minutes from Tokyo, particularly famous for its Kannon Pilgrimage and night festival. The festival attracts many visitors each year, making hotel accommodation and transportation a common challenge. Start planning as early as possible to secure your spot. We started planning in November with no intention of staying overnight, as a day trip is definitely doable.
We saw the Paleo Express, a historic steam locomotive, and experienced the smell of engine smoke, the sound of its horns, and the loud rattling as it ran on its tracks-sensations you cannot get on a modern electric train nowadays. We also did a short Kannon Pilgrimage in the morning to get a feel for the small town. Finally, we enjoyed the night festival at length.
Start walking from Seibu-Chichibu Station toward Chichibu Shrine before 6 pm to secure your spot. This is where you want to be to see the major actions of the festival before the procession. Gates may be closed to prevent overcrowding. Then, follow the procession toward the city hall, which is about a 10-minute walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station. If time allows, stay to witness the grand finale fireworks. One good spot to watch the fireworks is by the small bridge close to 7-11. The festival concludes around 10 pm.
Between 9 pm and 10 pm, you need to be at Seibu-Chichibu Station to catch the train back to Tokyo, assuming you're staying in Tokyo. There will be extra train schedules to accommodate day-trippers.
The only problem we encountered was being unable to purchase a round-trip ticket for the Seibu-Chichibu Line from Ikebukuro Station. Early schedules were all taken. We were just lucky to be able to board the 10 am one-way train to Chichibu. As soon as you get there, the first thing to do is go to the ticket counter or self-service machine to purchase your return ticket to Tokyo. There is no online ticketing for the Seibu-Chichibu Line, as it is not part of the JR Line. If you know someone in Tokyo who can help purchase your train tickets in advance, that would be great. Otherwise, as soon as you arrive in Tokyo, take the train to Ikebukuro Station and look for the Seibu-Chichibu Line Ticket office to buy your tickets. It may sound like a big hassle, but trust me, it's all worth it. The night festival is incredibly unique and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, sure to spark lively table conversations. Just do it and you'll thank yourself later on. Hope this helps. BTW, don't forget to bring extra batteries for your iPhone and/or camera.
@@ONEJOURNEYONESTORY thank you for your advice - great information. I actually spied a rare room in the middle of town available (for quite a fee 😄) but figured it was worth it to relax and enjoy the whole night. Hopefully it'll take the pressure off booking train tickets a bit too - it'll be a great experience I hope
@@originalribenababy Relax and you shall enjoy it. I’m happy for you. ：）
Did you go the 2nd or the 3rd , os it worth it to go both days or juste the 3rd is enough ?
On the last day where you get to see all the actions. That was more than enough for us. If you're planning to be there on the main event (last day), please do plan ahead.
Thank you I will plan ahead the trip , thanks for the response !