Five Reasons to Visit Chichibu by Seibu Railway

Reported and compiled by MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Department

If you want to get close to nature, enjoy scenic landscapes, and absorb the energy of the earth and sky, Chichibu—located in Saitama Prefecture not far from Tokyo—is an ideal destination. It boasts some of Japan’s most pristine natural surroundings, featuring four of the Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage sites. Whether you're looking for a hike or a spiritual retreat, it's a great choice. Departing from Ikebukuro on the Seibu Railway, it only takes 78 minutes to arrive—an ideal travel time that lets you build up excitement for your trip.

Boarding the Seibu Ikebukuro Line’s Limited Express Red Arrow, you’ll find passengers filled with anticipation. As the train moves away from the city, the gradually fading urban scenery gives way to lush green mountains and fresh air—a perfect day-trip weather. It’s great for hiking. The train passes through tunnels, revealing glimpses of the beautiful natural surroundings, which hints at the rich energy you’ll feel in Chichibu. The area is known for its abundant negative ions and serene atmosphere, making it a perfect escape. Yoshinodai Park preserves a rich natural environment, offering visitors a chance to experience nature at its finest.

 
Not far from Seibu Chichibu Station, Yoshinodai Park is blanketed with a pink floral carpet of shibazakura stretching as far as the eye can see. The explosion of colors is a quintessential sight in Chichibu. With 400,000 shibazakura plants blooming in red, purple, white, and pink, they form a soft and beautiful flower carpet. Walking along the flower paths, everyone’s face glows with a love-struck pink hue, as if even their breath has turned sweet.

Standing in Yoshinodai Park and looking out toward the foot of Mount Buko, you’ll see another iconic landmark of Chichibu. Legend says this mountain was named after Japan’s legendary warrior Yamato Takeru, who enshrined his armor here. Mount Buko is rich in high-quality limestone, which led to extensive mining in the past and caused some reduction in its height. It is now a popular camping site. The mountain’s unique limestone terrain also supports the rare Chichibu rock cherry blossoms and pristine springs, making it an important spot for nature exploration and ecological research.

Right next to Seibu Chichibu Station, we took a quick break during mealtime to try Chichibu’s famous “straw-sandal pork cutlet.” We queued at the well-known Yadaya Hinota store, which serves waraji katsu (straw-sandal pork cutlet)—a dish that was once awarded a gold prize in Japan’s Big Mac Awards. The delicious flavor made the wait worthwhile, and when the dish arrived, our jaws dropped. The oversized bowl, which couldn’t even be closed, held two pork cutlets larger than a human face stacked on top of the rice, completely hiding the rice underneath. The cutlet was coated in a slightly sweet sauce that balanced the fried texture. Despite the large portion, the meat was incredibly tender and not greasy at all. At first, we didn’t think we could finish it, but the crispy, sweet cutlet kept us going until we had polished off the entire bowl!

Another highlight of Chichibu is its many shrines and temples nestled within stunning natural surroundings, exuding an abundance of negative ions—making them popular energy spots among the Japanese. Among them is Chichibu Shrine, established as early as the Yayoi period. The shrine grounds feature numerous carvings, including the famous “Child-Rearing Tiger,” which depicts a mother tiger playing with her three cubs. But look closely and you’ll notice the mother tiger has leopard spots—apparently, in ancient Japan, tiger stripes were considered masculine while leopard spots were feminine, hence the mother tiger’s unique pattern. Chichibu Shrine is also the venue for the “Chichibu Night Festival,” one of Japan’s Three Great Float Festivals, alongside Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri and Gifu’s Takayama Matsuri. The grandeur of the festival can be glimpsed at the exhibition hall near the shrine.