Chichibu 秩父市 | |
|---|---|
 View of central Chichibu, from Hitsujiyama Park | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture | |
  Chichibu  Chichibu  Chichibu | |
| Coordinates:35°59′30.4″N139°5′7.7″E / 35.991778°N 139.085472°E /35.991778; 139.085472 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Saitama |
| First official recorded | 88 BC (official) |
| City established | April 1, 1950 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kazuhiko Kiyono (since May 2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 577.83 km2 (223.10 sq mi) |
| Population (January 1, 2021) | |
• Total | 61,159 |
| • Density | 105.84/km2 (274.13/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0494-22-2211 |
| Address | 8-15 Kumaki, Chichibu, Saitama 368-8686 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Blue-and-white flycatcher |
| Flower | Shiba-zakura |
| Tree | Kaede |
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Chichibu (Japanese:秩父市,Hepburn:Chichibu-shi) is acity located inSaitama Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 January 2021[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 61,159 in 26,380 households and apopulation density of 110 inhabitants per square kilometre (280/sq mi).[1] The total area of the city is 577.83 square kilometres (223.10 sq mi).
Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unlike other parts of the prefecture, it is largely mountainous and the population is concentrated inriver terraces along theArakawa River. It is Saitama's largest municipality in terms of surface area and shares borders withTokyo,Yamanashi,Nagano andGunma Prefectures. A large portion of the city belongs toChichibu Tama Kai National Park.[2]
Because the region is not suitable for growing rice, many people have traditionally depended onsericulture (silk farming).Limestone fromMount Bukō, which rises south of the city center, is another major source of income for the region. The city is shifting its focus toward sightseeing, taking advantage of its rich natural environment and relative closeness to the Tokyo metropolitan area. The city is also famous for itsbrewing industry.
Chichibu has aHumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Chichibu is 13.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1325 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.0 °C.[3]
| Climate data for Chichibu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1926−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 27.6 (81.7) | 33.0 (91.4) | 37.2 (99.0) | 38.3 (100.9) | 39.2 (102.6) | 40.0 (104.0) | 38.0 (100.4) | 32.4 (90.3) | 26.5 (79.7) | 25.1 (77.2) | 40.0 (104.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.9 (48.0) | 10.0 (50.0) | 13.5 (56.3) | 19.1 (66.4) | 23.8 (74.8) | 26.0 (78.8) | 29.8 (85.6) | 31.0 (87.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 20.8 (69.4) | 15.9 (60.6) | 11.2 (52.2) | 19.7 (67.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) | 3.0 (37.4) | 6.6 (43.9) | 12.2 (54.0) | 17.3 (63.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 24.6 (76.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 15.5 (59.9) | 9.2 (48.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 13.5 (56.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.8 (25.2) | −2.9 (26.8) | 0.7 (33.3) | 5.9 (42.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 16.5 (61.7) | 20.6 (69.1) | 21.5 (70.7) | 17.7 (63.9) | 11.3 (52.3) | 4.0 (39.2) | −1.6 (29.1) | 8.5 (47.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.8 (3.6) | −14.4 (6.1) | −12.5 (9.5) | −5.4 (22.3) | −0.9 (30.4) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 6.1 (43.0) | −0.9 (30.4) | −6.5 (20.3) | −11.7 (10.9) | −15.8 (3.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 40.3 (1.59) | 30.8 (1.21) | 69.0 (2.72) | 88.0 (3.46) | 102.4 (4.03) | 145.4 (5.72) | 192.0 (7.56) | 188.4 (7.42) | 236.7 (9.32) | 204.1 (8.04) | 47.5 (1.87) | 30.7 (1.21) | 1,375.3 (54.15) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 15 (5.9) | 12 (4.7) | 6 (2.4) | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (0.8) | 36 (14) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 3.3 | 3.8 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 9.1 | 12.0 | 13.2 | 10.6 | 11.5 | 8.9 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 96.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 3 cm) | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 64 | 62 | 64 | 67 | 71 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 71 | 74 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 205.5 | 193.1 | 189.7 | 186.3 | 179.5 | 123.0 | 133.4 | 152.4 | 113.6 | 128.7 | 163.7 | 192.3 | 1,968.1 |
| Source:JMA[4][5] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Chichibu has decreased gradually over the past 60 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 78,285 | — |
| 1960 | 82,811 | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 78,764 | −4.9% |
| 1980 | 76,875 | −2.4% |
| 1990 | 75,845 | −1.3% |
| 2000 | 73,875 | −2.6% |
| 2010 | 66,955 | −9.4% |
| 2020 | 59,674 | −10.9% |
Chichibu was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1950, althoughChichibu Province had already existed since before theNara period and the region has developed many local traditions. Chichibu Province was incorporated intoMusashi Province in the 7th century AD. During premodern times, the town developed as a marketplace of the district as well as the town aroundChichibu Shrine. The city's older name,Ōmiya ("big shrine"), was derived from the shrine. Since its incorporation in 1950, the area of the city has grown through a series of mergers, the most recent in 2005.
Chichibu has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 22 members. Chichibu contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part ofSaitama 11th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
The local economy of Chichibu remains based on agriculture and forestry, as well as tourism.
Chichibu has 14 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.
Two lines serve the city: theChichibu Main Line andSeibu Chichibu Line. TheChichibu Railway was constructed along the Arakawa River and first opened in 1914.Seibu Railway reached the city in 1969 and considerably reduced the travel time to Tokyo. It takes approximately one and a half hours to travel fromSeibu-Chichibu Station toIkebukuro Station, one of the major train terminals in Tokyo. These lines carry people as well as limestone from Mount Bukō. The two lines were directly connected on April 1, 1989. Chichibu Railway also operated theMitsumine Ropeway, which carried passengers visitingMitsumine Shrine [ja]. The ropeway was taken out of service since May 19, 2006, and was officially abandoned on December 1, 2007.[8]
Seibu Railway –Seibu Chichibu Line
Chichibu Railway –Chichibu Main Line
Two national roads, Route 140 and 299, serve the city. Route 140 connects the city to its nearest expressway interchange, Hanazono Interchange of theKan-Etsu Expressway. The city had no road communication to Yamanashi Prefecture due to steepOkuchichibu Mountains, but the opening of theKarisaka Tunnel in 1998 enabled the city to connect to Yamanashi.[9]
Toshima, Tokyo, since October 14, 1983Sanyō-Onoda, Yamaguchi, since May 20, 1996
Antioch, California, United States, since September 16, 1967
Gangneung,Gangwon-do, South Korea, since February 16, 1983[10]
Linfen,Shanxi Province, China, since October 7, 1988[10]
Warringah, Australia, since April 26, 1996[10]
Yasothon,Yasothon Province, Thailand, since May 6, 1999[10]
On December 3, Chichibu holds an annual night festival (Intangible cultural heritage). It attracts crowds from Chichibu, Saitama prefecture, neighboringTokyo, and theKantō region. Kawase matsuri is Chichibu shrine's summer festival. It takes place every July 19 and July 20. Eight groups carrying specialdashi floats march along to festival music around the city.Mikoshi (sacred portable shrines) are brought to special places in each neighborhood where they are enshrined. Neighborhood association heads wash themikoshi in the Arakawa River.
Other attractions of the city include:
As a picturesque area within fairly easy reach of Tokyo, Chichibu has been much photographed. However, the photography of Chichibu by the Chichibu nativeBukō Shimizu (1913–1995) is particularly extensive: Shimizu presented photographs of the mountains, people and customs of Chichibu in numerous books for the Japanese market, starting in 1954.[11][12]
The town of Chichibu is the setting for the popular anime seriesAnohana: The Flower We Saw That Day and the anime filmsThe Anthem of the Heart andHer Blue Sky, all of which were written byMari Okada who was born in Chichibu.[13]
The city considers itself as the inspiration forGilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera,The Mikado; the name of the opera's setting, "Titipu", is pronounced "Chichipu" in Japanese.Rokusuke Ei, a popular essayist, was convinced that Chichibu, the site ofa peasant uprising in 1884, inspired the author,W. S. Gilbert, to set the opera in Japan. Other Japanese researchers have concluded that Gilbert may simply have heard of Chichibu silk, an important export in the 19th century. A theatre company from Chichibu first presentedThe Mikado in Japanese in Chichibu on March 10, 2001, performed by local actors, and throughout other locations in Japan.[14][15] In August 2006, it travelled with this production to theInternational Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England.[16]
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