Chichibu Yomatsuri Japan

 
Chichibu Night Festival (秩父夜祭, Chichibu Yomatsuri) is a festival of the Chichibu Temple in Chichibu, just 90 minutes from central Tokyo. The festival is held every year on December 2nd and 3rd, and the main action takes place on December 3rd. The Chichibu Night Festival is considered one of Japan's top three festivals for float displays, the others being Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and Takayama Matsuri. Its floats are decorated with lanterns, tapestries and gilded wood carvings and are accompanied by drum and flute music.
Another attraction of this festival is its fireworks display which lasts for approximately two and a half hours and gives you a rare opportunity to enjoy Japanese fireworks in winter. Additionally, the streets are lined with stalls selling festival foods and amazak (sweet rice wine) to counter the chilly December night. The main events of the Chichibo Festival will be held on December 3. In the afternoon and early evening, the six floats are displayed in their respective neighborhoods and at the Chichibu Temple, before being paraded through the surrounding streets of Chichibu to the City Hall. 19:00