Chichibu Weekenders山河の息吹 秩父

Around two hours by train from Tokyo Station, Chichibu in western Saitama Prefecture is a nature-rich region surrounded by mountains. Along with nature activities, one can visit solemn temples and shrines and also tasteful, retro buildings from the Showa period (1926-1989) while enjoying gourmet food, onsen hot springs, shopping, and more: a great destination for day-trips from Tokyo. In the Edo period (1603-1868), Chichibu was known for its silkworm industry and many prosperous silk merchants. The Chichibu Cement Company, established in the Taisho period (1912-1926), based its cement production in the region because of the high-quality limestone mined at Mt. Buko, supporting the high economic growth of modern Japan. Old houses and shop buildings that tell the story of the region’s former glory can still be found around Ohanabatake Station and Kaitsugisho Street.

Chichibu is notable for its 300 to 400 festivals held each year. Registered as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, the Chichibu Night Festival from December 1 to 6 puts the winter gaiety of Chichibu on full display. Its grand festival on the third day features four floats and two umbrella-shaped kasaboko floats, all gorgeously decorated, that parade majestically around the city. A reverence for nature and deep piety have ensured that this tradition has continued in an unbroken chain.

Wear the Sacred Air

The enormous Chichibu mountain range runs through Gunma, Yamanashi, Nagano and Saitama Prefectures, and greater Tokyo. Starting with regal Mt. Kinpu, the region has numerous peaks over 2,500 meters. The view of Mt. Fuji from the peak is exquisite, and every year people of all ages come to Chichibu for hiking and mountain-climbing.

From the Edo period, Chichibu’s hot springs drew people for healing and pilgrims for its 34-temple pilgrimage circuit. Today, Chichibu City is dotted with onsen resorts, and many visitors combine a hike with a dip in their baths.

Driving west from central Chichibu for about an hour, including some 30 minutes uphill on a winding mountain road, you arrive at Mitsumine-jinja shrine in the heart of Mt. Mitsumine, 1,100 meters above sea level. The mountain itself is sacred and connected with Shugendo ascetic practices. When the skies are clear, you can see all the way to Mt. Kumotori, Mt. Shiraiwa and Myohogatake, the three peaks from which the shrine takes its name.

Mitsumine-jinja is counted among the three main shrines of Chichibu, along with Chichibu-jinja shrine and Hodosan-jinja shrine, and it is very old, tracing its origins to the semi-legendary prince Yamato Takeru. According to legend, the prince was sent to subdue the eastern lands, and on his way from Kainokuni (Yamanashi) to Usui Pass, he is said to have climbed Mt. Mitsumine, looked upon the pure and beautiful mountains and rivers, and enshrined Izanagi and Izanami, the two deities held to have created Japan, in a temporary shrine that later became Mitsumine-jinja.

In the Asuka period (592-710), the mountain ascetic En no Ozunu is said to have practiced austerities traveling back and forth between Izu and the three peaks. He is seen as the traditional founder of Shugendo, thought to have started around this time.

The entrance to the shrine is framed by one of Japan’s few triple torii gates. Flanking the gate are two stone wolves, not the typical komainu dogs. According to legend, it was a wolf that guided Yamato Takeru on his journey.

In recent years, the shrine has welcomed a steady stream of visitors from all over Japan; it is one of the country’s preeminent “power spots.” The main shrine and worship hall was built in 1661 in the kasuga-zukuri style, and its brilliantly colored carvings make a powerful impression. The grounds include the Yohaiden worship pavilion that looks out over the surrounding mountains and valleys, two sacred 800-year-old trees, and a stand of trees called Enmusubi-no-Ki known for their matchmaking prowess.

When the fog rolls in, the scene takes on a magical air, and this sacred air is said to purify the bodies and souls of the faithful.

Seasonal Beauty

Spring, summer, fall, winter. The changing seasons find vivid expression in Chichibu. Spring brings blossoming cherries, poppies, and azaleas in abundance, a mesmerizing sight.

Mid-April to early-May is the optimal time to see the wide expanses of creeping phlox at Hitsujiyama Park. Shibazakura Hill, which covers some 17,600-square-meters, has over 400,000 creeping phlox plants in 10 varieties that carpet the ground in shades of pink. The park is also home to the Yamato Art Museum, which features the works of Shiko Munakata, Miharashi no Oka, a hill offering views of the city, and a petting zoo where sheep freely graze on the hillside grasses.

In autumn, Chichibu’s fall foliage is beautiful, as if on fire. The leaves take on such color thanks to the stark difference between high and low temperatures in the summer and winter. In Nagatoro, the fall leaves and the crystal-clear river create a beautiful contrast.

Nagatoro is one of the most scenic areas of Chichibu. The Arakawa River cuts a valley around six kilometers long that was designated a National Natural Monument in the Taisho period. Iwadatami is an exposed rock formation around 80 meters wide and 500 meters long, an enormous sheet of natural rock. The entire area is known as the cradle of geology in Japan because so many geologists come here for research.

Taking in the beauty and grandeur of the valley while floating down the river in a polled tour boat is another fun attraction. The boat operators serve as guides as the passengers leisurely gaze out at the rock formations and other natural features. For bigger thrills, rafting, river kayaking, and standup paddleboarding are recommended.

From the windows of the SL Paleo Express, which travels from Kumagaya Station to Mitsumineguchi Station, a trip of around 2 hours and 40 minutes, passengers see the landscapes of Chichibu amid the changing seasons. The train is pulled by a C58 steam locomotive manufactured in 1944. The red-velvet box seats and wood-grained walls of the train cars may make it seem you have traveled back in time. It is quite a thrill to pass over Arakawa Bridge with views down to the river and Anyagawa Bridge, which soars some 40 meters over the water. Seeing the dynamic landscape and idyllic rural farmland as well will no doubt make the trip seem a short one. Beginning in 2022, the SL Paleo Express will run intermittently, primarily on weekends and holidays from late March to early December.

The Blessings of Water

Venture Whisky, a craft whisky pioneer with a distillery in Chichibu, makes a whisky famous among aficionados: Ichiro’s Malt, winner of world’s best awards for five straight years at the World Whiskies Awards. It uses soft water from Oku-chichibu and Chichibu barley, and its fermenting vats are made with Japanese mizunara oak. Everything is carefully selected. The whisky is matured in oak casks from three to several dozen years. The climate with its wide temperature range adds further depth to the flavor.

No effort is spared in its production and testing, so only around 400 to 500 thousand bottles are produced each year. This is equivalent to the amount made by a major distillery in a number of days. “We don’t use machines, so we allow very slight variations in color and flavor,” the company’s PR rep Yumi Yoshikawa explains. “This is one of the charms of craft whisky and should be enjoyed to the fullest.”

There are no distillery tours nor can craft whisky be purchased at the site, but it is found at local liquor shops and served at many local bars and restaurants.

Established in 1890, Asami Reizo is a manufacturer of spring water ice and seller of shaved ice desserts based in the Nagatoro area. Ice made from underground spring water from the Chichibu mountains is stored in an icehouse, and when the shaved ice is served, the temperature is elevated to about -2℃, which makes it fluffy and melt easily in the mouth. The lines are as long as three hours in the summer.

Chichibu is known for a number of scrumptious foods. The miso pork rice bowls in particular are a great example of so-called “B-grade gourmet.” Chinbata, run by a second-generation owner in a house overlooking the city, serves miso pork rice bowls made by marinating pork from Gunma Prefecture in a proprietary miso blend and grilling it over charcoal. Chinbata’s luxurious Double Bowl is also popular, with both miso pork and a sandal-shaped waraji cutlet, a famous Chichibu food, served over rice.

Pure water from Chichibu’s mountains has given rise not only to a local food culture but to developments in history, art and the economy. Chichibu, where people and nature live in harmony̶its charms will grab your heart and not let it go.