Chichibu Shrine — Dragon-Carved Sanctuary Since 2000 Years

Chichibu Shrine (秩父神社) claims a founding date of 2,100 years ago, though the current structures date to the 1592 reconstruction sponsored by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The shrine is famous for its intricate wood carvings covering every surface of the main hall — particularly the 'Tsunagi no Ryu' (繋の龍, 'Chained Dragon'), a relief carving showing a dragon bound by chains. The legend: the dragon once descended nightly to drink from the nearby pond, so the artist chained it in wood to prevent the nocturnal disruptions.

The shrine serves as spiritual center for the Chichibu region and headquarters for the Chichibu Night Festival (December 2–3), one of Japan's three great hikiyama festivals. The main hall's carvings — dragons, tigers, phoenixes, and scenes from Chinese legends — represent some of the finest Edo-period temple art outside Nikko. Unlike many shrines, Chichibu allows close approach to view the carving details.