Chichibu Night Festival秩父夜祭

The grand annual festival of Chichibu Shrine, known for the hauling of its kasaboko and yatai floats, kabuki staged on the floats and fireworks in the winter sky. As "Chichibu Matsuri no Yatai Gyōji to Kagura" it is a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and one of the UNESCO-inscribed "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan."

The festival is held each year with the eve on December 2 and the main festival on December 3. On the night of the 3rd the kasaboko and yatai are hauled through town to the driving rhythm of Chichibu yatai-bayashi, and the yatai open out into stages for kabuki. According to Chichibu Shrine, all this celebration is a tsuke-matsuri accompanying the heart of the festival, the Shinkōsai, in which the deity travels from the shrine to the otabisho facing Mt. Bukō.

This is a religious rite rooted in a shrine or temple. Please follow the guidance of the organizers and clergy, and take care not to disrupt the ceremonies.

According to the Chichibu Festival Museum, records suggest that the hauling of kasaboko and yatai began in the Kanbun era (1661–73) or the Kyōhō era (1716–36), developing alongside the great silk market held around Chichibu Shrine. Chichibu Shrine cites a record of 1709 describing local people observing periods of ritual purification in spring and autumn. "Chichibu Matsuri no Yatai Gyōji to Kagura" was designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property on February 3, 1980, and in December 2016 it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List as part of "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan."

Source: 秩父まつり会館(external site, opens in a new tab) / 秩父神社(external site, opens in a new tab) / 文化庁(external site, opens in a new tab) / 秩父市(external site, opens in a new tab)

In the lore handed down at Chichibu Shrine, the night festival is told as the one night each year when the goddess of Chichibu Shrine meets the male deity who dwells on Mt. Bukō. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, two kasaboko and four yatai are hauled on the night of the 3rd, the yatai opening out into stages for kabuki. Kagura is offered at the kagura hall and elsewhere on the 3rd and 6th, and is noted as differing in composition and lineage from the Edo kagura found across the Kantō region. The preservation body is the Chichibu Festival Preservation Committee.

Source: 秩父神社(external site, opens in a new tab) / 文化庁(external site, opens in a new tab)

1. 01

   Shinkōsai (divine procession)

   The central rite, in which the deity travels from Chichibu Shrine to the otabisho.

2. 02

   Hauling of the kasaboko and yatai

   On the night of the 3rd, the kasaboko and yatai are hauled through town to Chichibu yatai-bayashi.

3. 03

   Yatai shibai (kabuki on the floats)

   The yatai are opened out into stages for kabuki performances.

4. 04

   Kagura

   Sacred dance offered at the kagura hall and elsewhere on the 3rd and 6th.

5. 05

   Winter fireworks

   Fireworks are launched into the winter night sky.

The preservation body is the Chichibu Festival Preservation Committee.

• Chichibu Night Festival秩父夜祭【埼玉県公式観光動画】

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The festival is held on December 2 and 3. Extensive traffic restrictions apply in the city centre, so check the latest details from the Chichibu Tourism Association and Chichibu City. Winter nights are cold; dress warmly.

Traffic controls, seating and fees change every year. Always check the official website for the latest information.

Official website — chichibu-jinja.or.jp(external site, opens in a new tab)

• Keep out of the path of the floats while they are being hauled and follow the stewards' directions.
• Watch quietly during the rites and kagura offerings.
• Observe the manners of a worshipper within the shrine precincts.

• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage · 2016

  Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

  Designated subject: Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan (component: Float Ceremony and Kagura of the Chichibu Festival)（Festival as a whole）

  Source: 「山・鉾・屋台行事」がユネスコ無形文化遺産に登録されました/秩父市(external site, opens in a new tab)

• National designation · 1980

  Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property

  Designated subject: Chichibu Matsuri no Yatai Gyōji to Kagura (Float Ceremony and Kagura of the Chichibu Festival)（Festival as a whole）

  Source: 秩父祭の屋台行事と神楽 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)

• National designation · 1962

  Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property

  Designated subject: The kasaboko and yatai floats of the Chichibu Festival（Floats）

  Source: 秩父夜祭 - 秩父まつり会館(external site, opens in a new tab)

1. 1.秩父夜祭 | 秩父神社(external site, opens in a new tab)秩父神社 · Accessed 2026-09-26
2. 2.秩父祭の屋台行事と神楽 - 文化遺産オンライン(external site, opens in a new tab)文化庁 · Accessed 2026-09-26
3. 3.「山・鉾・屋台行事」がユネスコ無形文化遺産に登録されました/秩父市(external site, opens in a new tab)秩父市 · Accessed 2026-09-26
4. 4.秩父夜祭 - 秩父まつり会館(external site, opens in a new tab)秩父まつり会館 · Accessed 2026-09-26
5. 5.秩父夜祭（宵宮・本祭） – 秩父観光協会(external site, opens in a new tab)一般社団法人秩父観光協会 · Accessed 2026-09-26
6. 6.秩父夜祭 | 秩父観光なび(external site, opens in a new tab)秩父市 · Accessed 2026-09-26
7. 7.Chichibu Shrine - Wikipedia(external site, opens in a new tab)Wikipedia · Accessed 2026-09-26