Chiyoda, town in Ōra district, Gunma prefecture, Japan
Chiyoda is a small town in Gunma Prefecture in central Japan that stretches along the Tone River. The townscape shows traditional houses with tiled roofs, quiet neighborhoods, and fields of rice and vegetables that define the streets.
The town formed in the 20th century through the merger of several villages and retained its rural identity. The Kawasegaki festival since 1888 originated as a memorial for a drowned shopkeeper and is now a tradition that connects community and history.
The name Chiyoda means 'thousand rice fields' and reflects the farming roots that remain visible in the fields and gardens today. Visitors notice how residents carefully tend their plants and how chrysanthemums and osmanthus flowers shape the streets.
Access to town is mostly by car or bicycle, as there is no train line and the nearest major city is about an hour away. Visitors should allow flexible time to see farm work in the early morning or experience the Kawasegaki festival in August.
The Kawasegaki festival is less known than major Japanese festivals but locally significant: about 4,000 fireworks light the sky over the Tone River every August 18. The floating lanterns and monks' chants create a quiet yet festive mood that recalls an old memorial tradition.
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