by During the climax of the Chichibu Night Festival, the procession heading to the Otabisho reached the Ohanabatake Station crossing around 7:00 p.m.
They ascended Dangozaka Hill on their way to the Otabisho. Two sacred horses raced up the hill, watched closely by a large crowd of spectators.
Around 7:30 p.m., fireworks lit up the night sky.
At 7:40 p.m., near Ohanabatake Station, workers began disconnecting the overhead wires to allow the floats to pass. Using five long ladders, they removed and collected the wires from two railway tracks.
The task was completed in about eight minutes, earning a round of applause from the audience.
One of the workers remarked, “Detaching the overhead wires is a rare practice in Japan. Since I was young, I’ve seen it done during the Night Festival. We still do it manually every year. It’s an essential task to ensure the festival’s safety.”
Around 8:00 p.m., the Chugon Kasaboko passed through the railway crossing where the overhead wires had been removed.
The procession of floats continued with those from Shimogō, Miyaji, Kamimachi, and Nakamachi making their way.
As the grand finale of the fireworks display, the “Golden Waterfall” lit up the sky. At 9:50 p.m., the final float from Honmachi raced up Dangozaka Hill.
Once all six floats and kasaboko were lined up at the Otabisho, a ceremonial ritual took place. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., the Otabisho was opened to the public, drawing excited spectators eager to view the floats up close.
