Over the past two years, we’ve started planning our trips around Japan’s sightseeing trains and then arranging the rest of the itinerary around them. For those of us who don’t drive, it’s an especially convenient and comfortable way to travel.
We were lucky enough to book the only sightseeing train that runs from Chichibu to Tokyo, the "52 Seats of Happiness," for Sunday, 2026/06/07 at 4:00 PM, departing Chichibu for Shinjuku. Since we wanted to make it a day trip and also choose the French dinner service with live onboard music, this is the itinerary we ended up with:
At 9:00 in the morning, we took the Laview train from Ikebukuro Station, which first launched in March 2019. The ride took about 70 minutes. As soon as we arrived in Chichibu and exited the station, we saw the hot spring festival collaboration with Beitou in Taiwan. Right next to it was an area filled with all kinds of souvenirs and food.
About a five-minute walk away is Chichibu’s most famous ramen shop, and my personal number one, "Chindatsu." After a satisfying meal, we strolled through the thoughtfully designed streets. The shops along the way were all decorated in such a warm and charming style. In about 15 minutes, we reached Chichibu Shrine. It shares the cultural motif of the three cute monkeys with Nikko Toshogu Shrine, but its traditional shrine architecture paired with brighter colors gives it a very different feel.
After soaking in the spiritual atmosphere, we passed a supermarket that was amazing for shopping, then headed to the hot spring facility next to the station. The large public bath overlooks the mountains, and there are also stone slabs where you can lie down and relax, which was perfect for easing the fatigue from walking 20,000 steps a day over the past few days.
The "52 Seats of Happiness" train is arranged like a French restaurant, and the meal was made with fresh, delicious ingredients. The authentic French sauces were impressively well done, and the live violin performance by a highly skilled musician was the perfect finishing touch to this trip.
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Chichibu Pilgrimage Circuit
A pilgrimage route connecting 34 temples scattered throughout the nature-rich Chichibu area.
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The 34 Kannon Sacred Sites (temples enshrining Kannon Bodhisattva ) scattered in Chichibu City, Yokoze machi, Ogano machi and Minano machi are called “Chichibu Fudasho”(Chichibu Pilgrimage Circuit )”, and are included in the Japan 100 Kannon Pilgrimage along with 33 sites in Saigoku and 33 sites in Bando.
Chichibu Pilgrimage Circuit was started in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) and it became popular among ordinary people in the Edo period (1603-1868). People visited there for their faith as well as for their sightseeing tour.
The pilgrimage route from Shimabuji Temple, the first temple on the list, to Suisenji Temple, the 34th, is about 100 km (about 62.14 miles) long. There is no rule to follow the numbered temples in order, so many pilgrims start from the easiest temple to reach. In the past, it was customary to dedicated ofuda (paper talismans) with one’s profile on it as a token of one’s visit to a temple, but nowadays, Pilgrimage can have the name of the temple and its Shuin (red seal) on their Nokyo-cho (honorable seal book).
Pilgrimage supplies such as Nokyo-cho, walking sticks and Oizuru (the pilgrim's traditional white clothing) are sold at many temples, including the 1st Shimabuji Temple and the 13th Jigenji Temple.
One of the major attractions of the pilgrimage is the opportunity to walk through the natural beauty of Chichibu. In particular, the route from the 20th Iwanoue-do to the 25th Kyusho-ji Temple, called "Nagaone-michi," is very popular.
Highlights
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The tour will visit 34 Kannon Bodhisattvas scattered throughout the Chichibu area that are highly revered for their sacredness.
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The "Nagaone-michi" route from the 20th to the 25th is a popular route walking along the paths of the Nagaone Hills, which are rich in nature.
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To visit the temple, first take off your hat and bow at the temple gate, then bow with your hands in prayer to the principal idol. Finally, you will receive a red seal at the Nokyo-sho (a building where pilgrims pay a fee to receive a seal).
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You can go around not only on foot but also by private car, bus, or cab.
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The walking pilgrimage from the 21st to the 34th may be closed due to heavy rain etc.
Photos
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The first temple, Shimabuji.
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A picture frame of the "Kannon Reigenki" displayed in the main hall of each temple.
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Two huge straw sandals are dedicated at the main gate of the 4th temple, Kinshoji, which is famous for stone Buddhist statues.
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The statue of Jibo-Kannon in Kinshoji is called Kosodate-Kannon (Kannon for child-raising).
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The 3rd temple, Josenji. Many temples on the route are located in natural settings, such as in the countryside or in the mountains.
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After the worship, you can receive the Goshuin red seal on your Nokyo-cho.
Reviews
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Some reviews are AI-translated.
Details
- Name in Japanese
- 秩父札所巡り
- Address
- Chichibu city, Yokoze machi, Ogano machi, Minano machi and others.
- Telephone
- 0494-25-1170 (Chichibu Fudasyo Union)
- Holiday
- Open every day
- Hours
- 8:00 am-noon, 12:30pm - 5:00pm (November-February 4:00pm)
- Admission Fee
- Free (Goshuin red seal: 500 yen)
- Direction
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Depends on the temple (e.g., by bus from Seibu Chichibu Station of Seibu Railway)
*To Seibu-Chichibu station : 1 hour and 17 minutes by express train from Seibu-Ikebukuro station on Seibu railway. - Credit Cards
- Not accepted
- Official Website
- Official Website (Japanese)
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