Chichibu Day Trip from Tokyo

Chichibu feels much farther from Tokyo than it actually is. Just over an hour away, it offers a relaxing day trip experience that is unique for blending natural beauty, temple culture, and a small-town atmosphere, setting it apart from nearby, more urban destinations.

Chichibu is beautiful year-round. If you missed the peak cherry blossoms in Tokyo, it’s still worth visiting. After sakura, spring continues with the colorful shibazakura at Hitsujiyama Park, which bloom from mid-April to early May.

Getting to Chichibu is easier than you might expect. From Ikebukuro, the Seibu Limited Express to Seibu-Chichibu takes about 77 minutes. You can leave Tokyo in the morning and feel like you’ve gone much farther. The Laview train adds to the experience with its big windows and design that fits both city and countryside views.

In this article, I’ll share one of my favorite places to visit during spring and early summer—but before we get into the itinerary, let’s look at where Chichibu is located and why it’s such a unique day trip destination.

Chichibu is in western Saitama, tucked away in a mountain valley. This location explains why it feels so different from Tokyo. It’s only a bit over an hour from Ikebukuro on the limited express, but the shift in atmosphere is much greater than the distance suggests.

What I enjoy about Chichibu is its unique blend of attractions. Unlike places with a single main sight, its charm lies in combining valley temples, small train stations, old streets, unique local food, a silk-weaving history, and the opportunity to venture to places like Nagatoro — all giving it a character you won’t find elsewhere. It’s best when you leave some time unplanned to take it in.

Chichibu is beautiful in every season, and each visit feels a little different.

Take the Seibu line from Ikebukuro on the limited express Laview to Seibu-Chichibu. The journey takes about 77 minutes and feels special compared to a regular train ride.

The train’s wide windows let you watch the scenery change as you leave Tokyo behind. Once you arrive, you can explore on foot, rent a bike, or use local trains and taxis, depending on how much you want to see.

If you prefer a quieter start, avoid beginning your day in the busiest part of Chichibu. On my trip, I took the Seibu-Chichibu line from Seibu-Chichibu to Urayamaguchi Station and started walking from there. That small choice made the whole day feel different.

This relaxed itinerary is ideal for a Chichibu day trip from Tokyo:

You can follow this route loosely or simply use it as a starting point. Chichibu is best when you leave a little space for wandering.

To reach Urayamaguchi from Seibu-Chichibu Station, transfer to a local train. This short ride quickly shifts the atmosphere away from the main station area, setting the tone for your day trip.

From Urayamaguchi Station, I usually walked to Hashidate-do, temple number 28 on the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage. The Chichibu pilgrimage is one of the area’s most distinctive cultural places: 34 temples spread through the valley, part of the wider Japan 100 Kannon Pilgrimage alongside the Bando and Saigoku routes. A full circuit is about 100 kilometers. This shows how deeply pilgrimage is connected to the landscape here.

Hashidate-do doesn’t feel like a typical town temple. It sits at the foot of a limestone cliff, which gives it a hidden, almost severe atmosphere. That is part of why I liked it. The blossoms in the area in early April are definitely worth visiting.

The Kannon Hall was built in 1707 and holds a special position in the Chichibu pilgrimage. It is the only temple along the route that enshrines Bato Kannon, the Horse-Headed Kannon, as its main image. When horses were the primary mode of transport, people visited to pray for safe journeys. I followed this tradition and prayed for my future trips in the area.

Right next to Hashidate-do is Jurin’s Geo, and honestly, this alone made the detour worth it for me.

The cafe is known for its carefully chosen coffee, including rare Cup of Excellence beans. They also serve sweets and a wide variety of ice cream. It sounds good, but it’s even better in person, thanks to the view of greenery and the limestone cliff behind Hashidate-do.

If you want to see something more than temples and blossoms, Hashidate Limestone Cave is nearby. It offers a striking contrast.

The cave sits within the temple grounds, but stepping inside feels like entering another world. The temperature drops right away, the air turns cool and damp, and the light fades as you walk through narrow passages. In some spots, the ceiling is low, so you have to crouch, and the path gets just tight enough to make you notice your breathing.

Even in late spring or summer, it stays cold inside. The cave has a quiet, cool feeling, as if untouched by the world outside.

Even the region’s traditional sweets reflect the cultural heritage of the Hijikawa Valley near Ozu in Ehime Prefecture. One example is Bunraku Monaka, a traditional monaka sweet made from crisp rice wafers filled with smooth red bean paste, inspired by the valley’s long-standing Bunraku puppet theatre tradition.

The sweet is made by Fukueido Kashoho (福栄堂菓子舗), the only remaining wagashi shop in Hijikawa Town. Founded in 1922 during the Taisho era, the shop first operated as a general store selling food and medicine before later specializing in traditional Japanese sweets.

Today it remains a small family-run business closely connected to the local community, continuing to produce wagashi that reflect the culture and traditions of the Hijikawa Valley.

For those who want to spend more time in the valley, there are several places to stay that are both surprisingly affordable and high quality.

During this visit, we stayed at Kanogawaso (鹿野川荘) and also stopped by the retro Oyabu Onsen (小薮温泉). Unfortunately, the onsen itself was closed during our visit, as Tuesdays are their regular day off. Still, we were able to admire the beautiful three-story wooden main building, constructed in the mid-Taisho period (early 20th century).

Surrounded by wooden verandas with traditional railings, the building feels almost frozen in time. Large wooden structures of this age are increasingly rare in Japan, and the building was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2000.

Tucked into the mountains near the Hijikawa River, Kanogawaso offers a peaceful stay surrounded by forested hills and access to its own hot spring baths. The inn sits near Kanogawa Dam, built to help control flooding along the river, a reminder of how closely life in this valley has always been connected to the Hijikawa River.

During our stay we chatted with a local grandmother who visits the onsen every day. She enthusiastically told us how delicious the food at the inn was. Later that evening, we discovered she had not exaggerated at all!

Dinner highlighted ingredients from the surrounding countryside, seasonal vegetables, river fish, and dishes paired with sake brewed just a few hours earlier at Yoro Shuzo, the brewery we had visited earlier that day.

If you are exploring the area during the day, Kanogawaso is also open for lunch, making it a convenient stop even if you’re not staying overnight.

After breakfast, we visited our final destination in the Hijikawa Valley near Ozu in Ehime Prefecture — a small cultural facility called Kaze no Hakubutsukan Utamaro-kan, a museum dedicated to the world of ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

Ukiyo-e, the iconic woodblock prints of Japan’s Edo period, are among the most internationally recognized forms of Japanese art. Artists such as Hokusai and Utamaro influenced painters in Europe and helped shape artistic movements such as Impressionism.

The museum was established after original woodblocks connected to the ukiyo-e master Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806) were discovered in a local storehouse. No one knows exactly how they ended up in this rural valley.

In many places, discoveries like this might simply be transferred to large museums in major cities. But in the Hijikawa Valley, the community made a different decision. Instead of sending the woodblocks away, they chose to preserve them locally and share their history with visitors.

One of the highlights of visiting Utamaro-kan museum is the chance to try traditional ukiyo-e woodblock printing (摺り体験) yourself.

The process is far more intricate than it might first appear. A single ukiyo-e print is not created by just one artist. Traditionally, four specialists worked together: the artist who designed the image, the carver who cut the design into wooden blocks, the printer who applied pigments and pressed the paper, and the publisher who coordinated the entire production.

For multicolored prints, a separate woodblock must be carved for each color, sometimes ten or more blocks for a single image. Each sheet of paper must then be aligned perfectly with every block during printing. Even the smallest shift can ruin the entire print.

After trying the printing process myself, I gained a completely new appreciation for the patience and craftsmanship behind what might otherwise look like a simple image.

While many travelers visit Ehime for destinations such as Matsuyama Castle, Dogo Onsen, or the Shimanami Kaido cycling route, the countryside around Ozu offers a quieter side of the region.

The Hijikawa Valley is one of the most fascinating places to explore in southern Ehime. Here, visitors can experience sake brewing, Bunraku puppet theatre, traditional wagashi, and hands-on ukiyo-e woodblock printing.

Other nearby destinations worth exploring include:

These destinations can easily be explored together with Ozu as part of a multi-day trip through southern Ehime Prefecture. You can also read my guide to Ozu Castle Town and the NIPPONIA Ozu Castle Town project, as well as a 3-day train journey through southern Ehime.