Chichibu Yoshida’s dedication fireworks send a dragon into the sky with inherited skills and announcements
Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei
The 2026 edition of Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/11Ended
- Season / frequency
- The second Sunday of October / It is listed as an annual event.
- Location
- Around Mukujinja Shrine
- Area
- Saitama Prefecture・Chichibu City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei is a handcrafted rocket firework dedicated to the annual festival of Mukujinja Shrine. The Ryusei, made over the course of a year, is launched with an announcement, rising into the sky amid a thunderous roar and white smoke.
About Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Manabu Itoh File:龍勢祭り (15508018556).jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 CIMG1577Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki from Japan File:Chichibu Ryusei (Japanese traditional rocket festibal) (1935455426).jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 Chichibu Ryusei (Japanese traditional rocket festibal)Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki from Japan File:Chichibu Ryusei (Japanese traditional rocket festibal) (1935459528).jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 Chichibu Ryusei (Japanese traditional rocket festibal)Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei is a handcrafted rocket firework dedicated to the annual festival of Mukujinja Shrine.
It is held in Shimoyoshida, Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, as a supporting festival tradition passed down through generations in the community.
The Ryusei is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, and the festival carries local traditional culture into the present.
Before the launch, an announcement is made dedicating the Ryusei to Mukujinja Shrine.
Source: 秩父吉田の龍勢 | イベント一覧 | ぶんたま | 埼玉の伝統文化を知る・体験するメディア / 龍勢祭 | 秩父観光なび
Festival highlights
The highlight is the moment the handcrafted Ryusei rises into the sky amid a thunderous roar and white smoke.
The Ryusei is placed on a launch tower about 20 meters high and, once ignited, rises to about 300 meters above the ground in an instant.
The Ryusei’s effects are displayed in the sky, and each launch draws cheers and applause from the crowd.
The announcement and the ceremonial acts of dedication are also important parts of the launch.
Chichibu Yoshida’s dedication fireworks send a dragon into the sky with inherited skills and announcements
What to expect
When it is time for a launch, the creators present the Ryusei they have conceived and carefully made over the course of a year, then carry it to the launch tower.
After setting the Ryusei on the launch tower, it is hauled up with a rope, fitted with a fuse, and aimed in the launch direction.
Once preparations are complete, an announcement is made, and the Ryusei is ignited and launched.
Visitors watch from the venue until the Ryusei’s effects are displayed in the sky.
How to take part
Making and launching the Ryusei is a traditional event carried out by groups such as the Yoshida Ryusei Preservation Society.
Visitors can watch the dedication of the Ryusei, the announcement, the launch, and the effects displayed in the sky.
If you are visiting to watch, plan your travel with expected congestion around the venue in mind.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around Mukujinja Shrine (7377 Shimoyoshida, Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture).
- Train and bus
A 2026 temporary direct bus is available from Minano Station on the Chichibu Railway.
From Seibu-Chichibu Station, walk to Ohanabatake Station and take the Chichibu Railway to Minano Station.
In 2026, there are no temporary buses from Seibu-Chichibu Station to the venue.
- By car
A vehicle traffic restriction is planned around the venue on the festival day, from 8 a.m. until the festival ends.
Roadside Station Ryusei Kaikan can be used as a landmark, but parking is not available there on the day.
- Parking
A temporary parking lot will be set up at the Chichibu Midorigaoka Industrial Park, with free shuttle buses running to the venue area.
Parking lots around the venue are expected to be crowded.
Source: 今年の祭り | 吉田龍勢保存会
Address 7377 Shimoyoshida, Chichibu, Saitama
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the event is listed as scheduled for October 11 (Sunday), with hours planned from 8:40 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chichibu Kanko Navi states that the event starts at 8:40 a.m. and ends once 30 rockets have been launched, with the finish expected at around 4:45 p.m.
Because the published event hours differ, the end time may change depending on how the event proceeds on the day.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Saitama Prefecture / Chichibu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
On the day of the festival, parking lots and roads around the venue can be extremely congested, and you may have to wait a long time.
In 2026, visitors are directed to a temporary parking lot at Chichibu Midorigaoka Industrial Park, served by a free shuttle bus.
The last shuttle bus is scheduled for 5:20 p.m., and pets are not allowed on board.
If you come by car, please follow traffic restrictions and the instructions of staff.
Nearby attractions
Near the venue is Ryusei Kaikan, where visitors can learn about the Ryusei and explore its appeal.
Chichibu Kanko Navi introduces Ryusei Kaikan as a facility where visitors can experience the excitement of the Ryusei at any time.
On the festival day, Roadside Station Ryusei Kaikan will serve as a temporary bus stop for arrivals and departures and cannot be used as a parking lot.
When visiting, check the conditions for using the festival venue and the facility on the day separately.
三峯神社
埼玉県秩父市にある神社
秩父まつり会館
埼玉県秩父市にある秩父夜祭を主題とする展示施設
Chichibu Shrine
埼玉県秩父市にある神社
Origins and History of Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei
The Ryusei is a handcrafted rocket firework passed down through generations as a supporting festival event dedicated to the annual festival of Mukujinja Shrine.
The community’s preservation group works to pass the tradition on to future generations.
On March 8, 2018, it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan as the “Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei.”
The festival today is shaped by the skills of making and dedication that have been passed down over many years.
Official information
Event information is available on “Chichibu Kanko Navi,” the official Chichibu City website, and on the official Yoshida Ryusei Preservation Society page.
Chichibu Kanko Navi provides information on the event date, transportation, parking, and the launch sequence.
The Yoshida Ryusei Preservation Society page has information on the 2026 schedule and transportation, the temporary parking lot, and shuttle buses.
Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei at a Glance
The Chichibu Yoshida Ryusei is a traditional event featuring handcrafted rocket fireworks dedicated to the annual festival of Mukujinja Shrine.
The creators carry the Ryusei, which they have spent a year preparing, to the launch tower. After an announcement, it is launched and its effects are displayed in the sky.
The event is listed as scheduled for October 11 around Mukujinja Shrine in Shimoyoshida, Chichibu.
Temporary buses from Minano Station and shuttle buses from the temporary parking lot are available to reach the venue.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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