Chichibu Day Trip & Sushi Class in Asakusa

Chichibu is a mountain basin in western Saitama Prefecture, ringed by forested hills and known for its old shrine, its river gorge at Nagatoro, the pink moss phlox of Hitsujiyama Park in spring and one of Japan's great winter festivals. It feels much further from Tokyo than it is: a direct limited express from Ikebukuro takes about 80 minutes.

This guide covers the train, what to see in each season, what to know about the Chichibu Night Festival on 2 and 3 December, and how to fit our sushi class in Asakusa into the same trip.

Getting to Chichibu from Asakusa

The simplest route is the Seibu Railway Limited Express Laview from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu. A Seibu-sponsored travel guide gives the journey as about 80 minutes, with roughly one departure an hour. Every seat on Seibu's limited expresses is reserved: you need a regular fare plus a limited express ticket, which Seibu lists at ¥900 for an adult from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu. Tickets go on sale one month before the travel date.

From Asakusa, you first need to get to Ikebukuro on the other side of central Tokyo. One straightforward way is the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Ueno and then the JR Yamanote Line to Ikebukuro. Allow a generous margin for the transfer and for finding the Seibu platforms at Ikebukuro, and reserve your Laview seat in advance rather than relying on the next train.

If you hold a foreign passport, ask Seibu about its tourist passes when you plan. The sponsored guide lists a one-day pass covering Chichibu and Nagatoro that does not include the limited express fee. Check the current conditions on Seibu's site before buying.

What to see in a day

Seibu-Chichibu Station is the gateway. Next to it is Matsuri no Yu, a hot-spring facility with a food court and souvenir shop, which is a useful base if you arrive early or have time before your train back.

Chichibu Shrine. The town's main shrine is reachable on foot from Seibu-Chichibu Station and from Chichibu Station on the separate Chichibu Railway. It is the shrine at the heart of the night festival.

Hitsujiyama Park. Best known for its hillside of moss phlox (shibazakura): according to Chichibu's tourism association, over 400,000 plants across about 17,600 square metres, in colour from mid-April to early May. It is about 1.5 km on foot from Seibu-Chichibu Station, partly uphill. Outside the flower season it is a quieter park with views over the town.

Nagatoro. A short ride along the Chichibu Railway, Nagatoro has the Iwadatami, a broad shelf of layered rock along the Arakawa River. The river boat rides there run from early March to early December, about 9:00 to 16:00, and stop when the water is too high or too low. Do not plan on a boat ride from mid-December to February.

Local food. Chichibu's tourism listings feature waraji katsudon, a rice bowl topped with large, flat pork cutlets named after straw sandals, as well as miso-grilled pork bowls and Chichibu soba. If you are taking an evening class in Asakusa, keep lunch moderate.

Chichibu in winter

Chichibu's daytime temperatures in winter are similar to Tokyo's, but nights are much colder. Japan Meteorological Agency averages for 1991–2020 give Chichibu an average December high of 11.2°C and low of −1.6°C, and a January high of 8.9°C and low of −3.8°C. Tokyo's January low is 1.2°C. Bring warm layers if you plan to stay into the evening.

In January and February, the Misotsuchi icicles are a popular winter sight reached by bus from Seibu-Chichibu Station. The 2026 season ran from 9 January to 23 February, with evening light-ups. Check the official tourism site for the 2027 dates before you go.

The Chichibu Night Festival (2–3 December)

The Chichibu Yomatsuri is held every year on 2 and 3 December. It is the festival of Chichibu Shrine and one of the 33 float festivals in Japan inscribed together by UNESCO in 2016 as "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan".

According to the Chichibu tourism association, four decorated yatai floats are pulled through town on 2 December, the eve. On 3 December, the main day, six floats take part, including two kasaboko. The climax runs from just after 7 pm until about 10 pm, as the floats are hauled up to the festival's resting place, with winter fireworks over the town.

It is very crowded, and that changes how you should plan:

• Trains. Seibu has announced extra limited expresses from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu on Thursday 3 December 2026, about every 30 minutes from 11:00, and more trains back in the evening. Laview seats for that day sell quickly, so reserve both directions as soon as sales open.
• Chichibu Railway. On the evening of 3 December, roughly 19:30 to 22:30, the Chichibu Railway does not run between Chichibu and Kagemori, because the overhead wires are taken down so the floats can cross the tracks.
• Viewing seats. Paid reserved viewing seats are sold in advance. For 2026, the tourism association lists one section as already sold out.

Fitting the sushi class into a Chichibu trip

Chichibu is further than Kawagoe and involves a cross-town transfer to Ikebukuro, so leave more margin than you would for a short trip. There are three realistic ways to combine it with our class.

Option 1: a morning class, then Chichibu

Take a 10:00 session, finish around 11:30, and head to Ikebukuro for an early-afternoon Laview. You will reach Chichibu by mid-afternoon, with time for the shrine and the area around the station. The sushi you make is a real meal, so lunch is covered. On 3 December, this is the only sensible same-day combination if you want to stay for the festival in the evening.

Option 2: Chichibu first, an evening class

Leave early, spend the morning and early afternoon in Chichibu, and take a mid-afternoon Laview back for an 18:00 session, if that time is offered on your date. Aim to be back at Ikebukuro by around 16:30 so that you have time to cross Tokyo, walk from Asakusa Station and arrive 10 minutes early. Do not try this on 2 or 3 December, when trains and stations are much busier. Cancellations within 24 hours of the class are charged in full, so a tight connection is a real risk; our guide to cancelling or rescheduling explains the terms.

Option 3: separate days (the relaxed choice)

If you want a full day in Chichibu and Nagatoro, or a whole evening at the night festival, put the class on the day before or after. For the festival, 1, 2 or 4 December all work well for the class, and you do not need to watch the clock.

Choose your class time

Our signature sushi and matcha class lasts 90 minutes. You make nigiri and maki rolls with an English-speaking instructor, toast with sake, eat what you make and whisk your own matcha. Start times vary by date. On the early-December dates we checked on 12 November 2026, sessions ran at 10:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 18:00. Check the booking calendar for current times, and please arrive 10 minutes early. Our guide to how long a sushi class takes helps you plan the margin around it.

Comparing day trips

Chichibu is a good choice if you want mountains and a strong local festival culture without a shinkansen ticket. If you would rather stay closer, Kawagoe and a sushi class is also in Saitama and much quicker to combine on the same day. For a highland trip with a faster train from Ueno, see our guide to Karuizawa and a sushi class. When your dates are set, check the class calendar and plan the trip around the session that fits.