Chichibu sits in a high basin ringed by mountains, a town of fifty-eight thousand people that feels more like a market town in the Alps than a place two hours from Tokyo. The ground here is limestone, and to the south the bulk of Mount Buko has been quarried for cement for a century, a vast scar on the hillside that is visible from miles away. The industry made the town prosperous, and it also sits beside a river, the Arakawa, that begins in the mountains above and flows down toward the capital.
The great event of the year is the Chichibu night festival, held on 2 and 3 December, when huge, lantern-hung floats are hauled through the streets by crowds of locals, with fireworks bursting overhead in the cold air. It has taken place for more than three hundred years and is recognised by UNESCO as part of the intangible heritage of humanity. If you happen to be here on those days, it is a thrilling sight, though the town is jammed and accommodation is hard to find.
Chichibu is also a place of pilgrimage. A circuit of thirty-four Kannon temples, established in the sixteenth century, winds through the valleys, and walkers, in the traditional white clothes, still follow it, ringing bells and chanting. A short way up the Arakawa lies Mitsumine Shrine, perched high on a ridge in an old cedar forest, where wolves are venerated as messengers of the gods. It is a long, winding ride, but the setting is magnificent, and the air smells of resin and incense.
The forest roads around Chichibu are winding and shaded, with sharp bends, short tunnels and many blind corners, and the surface can be damp and covered in leaves and pine needles. Take it slowly, particularly after rain. Moss grows on the walls, and light filters through the branches in thin shafts. Traffic is light on weekdays and heavier at weekends, when cyclists and sightseers arrive. The town has fuel stations and supermarkets, and the nearest big place is Yorii, seventeen kilometres east. In winter, ice forms on shaded roads and can stay all day, so check the forecast, and carry a warm layer as the temperature can fall quickly after sunset.