Chichibu Festival Museum

Held on December 2nd and 3rd, the Chichibu Yomatsuri is considered one of Japan's top three float festivals (alongside Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Takayama Matsuri). The floats are enormous, decorated with intricate carvings and gold-leaf, and illuminated by hundreds of lanterns. The climax occurs on the night of December 3rd, when the heavy floats are pulled up a steep slope toward the city hall while a major winter fireworks display lights up the sky. It is a rare opportunity to see traditional Shinto festival culture during the cold winter months.