The SEIBU 1Day Pass (about ¥1,500) and the Laview seat both ways (about ¥900 each). Without the pass, the regular fare is about ¥800 each way. Every Anohana spot is free.
Best time to go
Autumn 2026 for the 15th-anniversary events (October–November). Spring and autumn are the best months to walk.
Closing days
The Tourist Information Center is closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month; Hotspot Chichibukan closes on Wednesdays.
Walking (our estimate)
Heavy on foot: roughly 8–10 km. A rental bicycle from the information center cuts it down.
Chichibu City in Saitama is the model for the town in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, and the city still runs Anohana events more than a decade after the 2011 TV series; 2026 is its 15th anniversary. The same team's films Anthem of the Heart (2015, known to fans as Kokosake) and Her Blue Sky (2019) are set here too. The town center is an about 80-minute limited express ride from Ikebukuro, and the main spots can be walked in a day: the information center's Anohana corner, Chichibu Shrine, Jorinji temple and the Old Chichibu Bridge over the Arakawa River.
Times, fares and opening hours are approximate. Check the official pages under Sources before you go (last checked September 18, 2026).
1
Day 1
Ikebukuro → Chichibu → Ikebukuro
Laview to Chichibu, a walk north through town to the Old Chichibu Bridge, and back by evening.
Morning
Ikebukuro → Seibu-Chichibu by Laview
Seibu's Limited Express Chichibu (the Laview train) runs Ikebukuro → Seibu-Chichibu in about 80 min with no change. All seats are reserved, so buy the limited express ticket before boarding (about ¥900; about ¥200 more if bought on board). At the time of writing the 8:30 from Ikebukuro reached Seibu-Chichibu at 9:51, on weekdays and weekends.
1
Morning
Chichibu Tourist Information Center
Right outside Seibu-Chichibu Station. Pick up the Anohana pilgrimage map at the Anohana corner, and rent a bicycle here if you want to save your legs for the bridge. Open 9:00–17:00; closed the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month.
About 15 min on foot from Seibu-Chichibu Station. It is an active shrine: bow at the gate and keep to the paths. In front of the shrine, Myoken no Mori Park has the city's Anohana illumination, reinstalled with partly new artwork in September 2026.
The 1931 three-arch bridge is now used as a park on the bridge. Walk across for the view of the Arakawa River. Two piers and two posts of the first bridge, built in 1885, are also preserved.
If you rented a bicycle, return it at the information center before 17:00. The station has a hot spring facility if you have time before the train.
Evening
Seibu-Chichibu → Ikebukuro
Limited express trains back leave about once an hour. At the time of writing, weekend trains left Seibu-Chichibu at 24 minutes past the hour (for example 17:24, arriving in Ikebukuro at 18:46), the last at 21:24. Check the current timetable and book the return seat in the morning.
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Terminus
Where to stay
Hotel links go straight to the booking site. We get nothing from them.
Terminus · stay in
Chichibu
Stay the night to see the Anohana illumination in the evening or to add Nagatoro the next day.
Unlimited rides on all Seibu lines (except the Tamagawa Line) for one day, which covers the regular fare to Chichibu and back. The limited express ticket for the Laview is extra. For non-Japanese passport holders; buy at Ikebukuro or Seibu-Shinjuku stations or online. A version with the Chichibu Railway (Nogami/Nagatoro to Mitsumineguchi) also exists.
Available at the Chichibu Tourist Information Center in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station. The Old Chichibu Bridge is the farthest point of the route, so a bicycle saves the walk back.
Some links here are partner links: we get a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
Please note
Visiting with respect
Chichibu Shrine and Jorinji are places of worship. Bow at the gate, keep to the paths, and don't block the steps for photos.
The streets between the spots are where people live.
The Old Chichibu Bridge is now a park on the bridge. Photograph from the old bridge or the riverbank paths, not from any roadway.
Take your trash home. Local fans and the city clean up around the Old Chichibu Bridge every year.
Good to know
FAQ
Is Chichibu really the town in Anohana?
Chichibu City says the town was the model for the setting, and it lists the Old Chichibu Bridge, Chichibu Shrine and Jorinji among the Anohana places. The characters and story are fictional.
Can I visit the secret base?
This route doesn't include it.
Are there Anohana events in 2026?
Yes, for the 15th anniversary. Chichibu City lists the Anohana rocket at the Ryusei Festival on October 11 (Muku Shrine, Shimoyoshida), a Yukiatsu cosplay parade on October 17 and a Chichibu Railway SL special on November 7. Check the city's anime page for updates.
What about Anthem of the Heart and Her Blue Sky?
Both films are by the same team and also set in Chichibu. The city's anime page covers all three, and Temple 10 Daijiji in neighboring Yokoze has been used for Anthem of the Heart events.
Is the Ryusei Kaikan worth the trip?
It is on the city's Anohana course, but it is in Yoshida, about 37 min by bus from Seibu-Chichibu, and the visit itself takes about 40 min.
Can I do this with a Japan Rail Pass?
No. The Laview and the Seibu lines are not JR. Use the SEIBU 1Day Pass or regular tickets.
Transfer
Combine with nearby routes
Have more days? These routes start or end close to this one.
