National Jan 27, 2021
Ahead of administering vaccines, municipalities are facing challenges such as selecting venues, securing doctors and nurses, and informing residents.
Film / Reviews Oct 9, 2019
'Her Blue Sky': Testing the limits of a successful formula
by Matt Schley
The latest film from Tatsuyuki Nagai, Mari Okada and Masayoshi Tanaka sees a return to the city of Chichibu, but can the success of the trio's previous productions be repeated?
Environment Sep 13, 2019
Debate over Japan's extinct wolf grows
by Alex K.T. Martin
An unidentified animal howl recorded in the Okuchichibu mountains bears a strong resemblance to a wolf howl, according to an analysis of audio samples provided by Hiroshi Yagi, an independent researcher who has been working to prove the existence of the officially extinct Japanese ...
Environment May 25, 2019
by Alex K.T. Martin
It was around 3 p.m. on a chilly day in December. The sky was overcast and the scent of rain hung in the air when Rina Kambayashi happened upon a creature she had never seen before. Opening the front door to her family's gracefully ...
Travel | A Weekend In Dec 8, 2018
A weekend in Saitama: Coffee, temples and a spot of river rafting
by Claire Williamson
Kick off a weekend in Saitama Prefecture in Kumagaya, an excellent starting point for a trip that will take you all across the region — from river rafting in the forested mountains of Chichibu to the historical alleys of Kawagoe.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Apr 29, 2018
Chichibu: Steeped in tradition, but challenged by industry
by Amy Chavez
The city of Chichibu, about 90 minutes by train from Ikebukuro, Tokyo, has a population of approximately 60,000. The region, which sits in the shadow of Mount Buko and alongside the Arakawa river is steeped in tradition with more than 300 festivals taking place ...
National / Social Issues Nov 21, 2017
Jobs battle environment on sacred but scarred Mount Buko
by Alex K.T. Martin
Shin Sasakubo grew up listening to blasts of dynamite scar the slopes of Mount Buko and echo across his small town every day at half past noon. But it wasn't until the guitarist returned from Peru, where he studied Andean music, that he understood the ...
Business Nov 8, 2017
Small Saitama town embraces sharing economy in bid to battle demographic drain
by Alex K.T. Martin
Yokoze, a quiet, scenic town of around 8,400 in the mountainous Chichibu region in Saitama Prefecture, isn't immune to the sweeping demographic change impacting hundreds of rural municipalities across Japan. The town's population has been shrinking for the past two decades as its residents age. ...
Travel Jul 14, 2017
Saitama's Nagatoro is home to stillness, motion and an endless variety of color
by Stephen Mansfield
It wasn't immediately clear what the man tossing large pebbles at the torii of a shrine was trying to achieve. What appeared to be the desecration of a religious structure, with the vocal encouragement of his wife, turned out to be related to superstition, the ...
Travel Jan 7, 2017
The 'washi' paper trail: from the tree to its many purposes
by Stephen Mansfield
Stepping off the bus at the Gakko-iriguchi stop in Higashi-Chichibu Village in Saitama Prefecture, the first things to strike the eye are high-flying clusters of balloons, suspended like colorful dirigibles. Here, the workshops and exhibition spaces of Washi-no-Sato, a well-known papermaking center tucked into the ...
National Jan 21, 2016
Toshima Ward survey finds a fifth of residents willing to be resettled in Saitama
by Tomoko Otake
The Tokyo ward is accelerating moves to promote the resettlement of healthy seniors in Chichibu, where plans to create a retirement community are underway.
National Jan 14, 2016
Seibu Railway cars to feature Hello Kitty characters in tourist draw
Hello Kitty characters will be featured on some Seibu Railway Co. train cars from Saturday in a bid to draw visitors to the Chichibu mountainous area where the operator serves. Under the campaign, dubbed "Hello Kitty meets Chichibu," a four-car train bearing the Sanrio Co. ...