Recommended route

Recommended route

Here we will propose a model three-day course to enjoy Chichibu Geopark and its sightseeing spots when coming to Chichibu by train. You can also enjoy a one-day trip based on each day of the three-day course.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Day 1 Theme: “Culture of Chichibu and Artworks of Earth”

10:00: Arrive at Seibu-Chichibu Station. Receive an English pamphlet and tourist information on Geopark at the Chichibu Tourist Information Center in front of the station and the helpdesk at Chichibu City Hall right near it.

Walk

10:30: Climb the Miharashi-no-Oka at Hitsujiyama Park. Here you will be able to overlook the townscape of Chichibu formed by river terraces. In the spring, you will be able to see beautiful cherry blossoms and shibazakura (pink moss) at Hitsujiyama Park.

11:00: Next, visit the Chichibu Meisen Museum, where you will be able to learn about the history and weaving culture of Chichibu, and touch the traditional kimono of Chichibu called the Chichibu Meisen. The Chichibu Basin, which had been formed by river terraces, did not have the soil or terrain suitable for hydroponic culture, and thus people living in this region were not able to cultivate rice. Instead, they grew mulberry that became feed for silkworms that made silk, and thus weaving had flourished in this region.

Walk

12:00: Once you have visited Chichibu Shrine, take a break in the town for lunch. After lunch, you can learn about the Chichibu Yomatsuri (Night Festival), a famous festival of Chichibu, at the Chichibu Matsuri Hall. The Chichibu Yomatsuri became an extravagant festival since the Edo period, when the region became wealthy through silk fabrics. Next, head towards Chichibu Railway Chichibu Station, which is about three minutes away on foot.

Train

14:00: Take the train to Kami-Nagatoro Station. Visit the Saitama Museum of Natural History, where you will be able to enjoy and learn from a rich exhibition on Chichibu Geopark. Right near the museum is a river beach that has the Toraiwa, which is one of the Geosites. After you leave the museum, walk or take the train to Nagatoro Station.

Walk or train (1 station)

15:30: Around Nagatoro Station are many souvenir shops and restaurants. After walking through the bustling shopping district, you will arrive at a river beach where you will be able to see the national natural monument “Iwadatami.” You can walk on the Iwadatami or take a stroll, or if you have time, you can go down the river in a traditional Japanese boat. We also recommend you to visit Hodosan Shrine, one of the Chichibu Sanja (three shrines of Chichibu), and go on the ropeway.

Train, etc.

If you are staying the night, you can head to your hotel. If you will be leaving, we hope you will enjoy eating and shopping in the town before you leave.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Day 2 Theme: “Power Spots and Activities”

9:00: Take the bus from Seibu-Chichibu Station and head toward Mitsumine Jinja. If you look outside from the bus window, you will be able to see that you are gradually moving deeper into the mountains as you travel toward the innermost depths of the Chichibu region. The steep valleys were created approximately 200 to 150 million years in the past in the southern sea, and they are made up of mountains formed in the Chichibu belt, which is a hard stratum that came to this region on top of a tectonic plate.

Bus

10:30: Mitsumine Shrine, which is located on an elevation above 1,000m, has been extremely popular in recent years as one of the leading power spots (places believed to endow visitors with healing energy) in Kanto. There are many must-see sights, such as the large trees lined up along the entrance path, a majestic shrine, and a sacred tree that is 800 years old. In the spring and autumn, this also becomes a popular sightseeing spot of sea of clouds. It also has an accommodation facility and hot spring.

Bus

14:00: Take the bus to return, and get off at Chichibu Railway Mitsumineguchi Station. Here, there is a new attraction at Chichibu called the Geo Gravity Park Chichibu where you will be able to enjoy gravity sports. Near this facility is the Shirakawa Bridge, and the area surrounding it, which is the border between the Chichibu Basin and mountains, is designated as a Geosite. We hope you will immerse yourself in Chichibu Geopark through the thrilling activities! (Reservation is required in advance.)

Train

16:00: Take the Chichibu Railway and enjoy a ride on this local Japanese railway. On the way to the central area of Chichibu, if you have time, we recommend you to get off at Urayamaguchi Station to stop by at a limestone cave, where you can feel like an explorer, and Hashidate-do Temple, where there is a temple hall at the foot of a large wall of rock that will surely leave you awe-struck. There is also a cafe in front of the temple where you can take a break.

Train

If you are staying the night, you can head to your hotel. If you will be leaving, we hope you will enjoy eating and shopping in the town before you leave.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Day 3 Theme: “Power Spots and Activities”

9:00: Next, make your way toward the west area of the Chichibu region. You will be taking the bus from the bus terminal at Seibu-Chichibu Station, but there are only a few buses per day, so it would be convenient if you rent a car in front of the station if you have an international driving permit.

Bus/Walk or Rental Car

10:30: Walk for about 30 minutes from the bus station while enjoying the idyllic countryside landscape. At Hosho-ji Temple (the 32nd temple of the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage), where there is a fine gate with a long history, there are many sightseeing spots of Geo, such as a tafoni cave with a temple hall inside, and a statue of Kannon erected on top of a large sandstone. You will be able to see very clearly that the Geosites at Chichibu have been protected through the worship of people since old times. If you are able to travel by rental car, we also recommend you to visit Kannon-in Temple (the 31st temple of the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage), which is located further in the depths of the region.

Bus or Rental Car

12:00: Grab lunch in the central area of Ogano. The specialty of this town is the “Waraji Katsu,” which has two large cutlets on top of rice. Waraji, or straw sandal, is a type of typical footwear worn by people in Japan in the past. Once you are full, stop by at the Ogano Town Tourism & Interaction Hall, which is a base facility for tourism in the town making use of a historic building. You can learn thoroughly about the history of Ogano, a town of Kabuki.

Bus or Rental Car

14:00: The Fossil Museum of Ogano puts many fossils uncovered locally, in other parts of Japan, and outside of Japan on display. The skeletal model of the marine mammal Paleoparadoxia, of which many fossils have been discovered in the Chichibu region, is particularly stunning. Workshops to build a replica of these fossils, which are held from time to time, are also popular.

Walk

14:30: Visit and see Yobake, an outcrop near the Fossil Museum of Ogano. Yobake means “cliff in the sun,” and it is an outcrop where you can observe the stratum from approximately 17 million to 15 million years ago, when the Paleo Chichibu Bay that covered this area was a shallow sea.

Bus or Rental Car

16:00: When you arrive at Seibu-Chichibu Station, visit the hot spring in front of the station to cure your fatigue. After shopping for souvenirs and enjoying some sweets, take the Limited Express train that allows you to sit back and relax, and head back towards the Tokyo area while reminiscing on all of your experiences during the trip.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Requests or Inquiries on Guided Tours

We recommend that you take a guided tour if you find it difficult to tour Chichibu Geopark on your own.

Chichibu Guide Club

Chichibu region is a tourist spot where there are all kinds of fun. The Chichibu Guide Club has a number of registered organizations that conduct tour guide activities within the Chichibu region, and there are experts specialized in certain fields affiliated with each organization. Touring the famous sightseeing spots and viewing points together with a tour guide who will provide you with explanation will definitely help you enjoy Chichibu Geopark at a much deeper level.

*When contacting or applying, please indicate that you wish to have a guided tour of Chichibu Geopark. Also, please confirm whether you would need an interpreter to accompany you.

Chichibu Marugoto Geopark Promotion Council Secretariat

Please contact the Secretariat for any questions related to Chichibu Geopark.