Fukuoka to the Chichibu Yomatsuri

My wife and I will be attending the Sumo championships in Fukuoka on November 22nd or 23rd. We would then like to travel from Kyoto to see the Chichibu Yomatsuri on December 2nd and 3rd.
My questions:
* What off-the-beaten-track places are worth considering between Kyoto and Chichibu?
* What is the link to buy reserved seats for the Yomatsuri?
* Hotel recommendations in Chichibu please.

Thanks for any replies.

For your first question, there is a huge amount of land between the two, and a lot depends on your interests. I presume also you mean not too far from the train line. But a few ideas off the top are Hikone (castle + Genkyuen Garden), Gifu, Nagoya (not as interesting as Tokyo or Kansai, but it does have some sights), Hamamatsu, Mishima, Atami, Yokohama.... Many people would choose Hakone, but given the time it takes to get in there and out, plus all the different sights to see, it really is worth at least a full day or two.

What is the link to buy reserved seats for the Yomatsuri?

My understanding is that seats don't go on sale until a couple of months before the festival and that it is virtually impossible to get them if you don't read and write Japanese, and difficult even if you do.

Hi Ken and Uji, I have just seen your helpful replies to my questions.

I will look into some See&Do ideas in the places you mention Ken. I have been to Hakone and I agree it is worth a full day or two to go there.

Thanks to Uji for sharing how difficult it will be to get tickets for the Yomatsuri. I will start looking in October. Your advice helps me decide to not book a hotel until I have tickets!

When I booked tickets last year for the Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto, the website used had a link to English and all went well. Let's hope the Yomatsuri website will follow suit this year.

Tickets to the Osaka Sumo championships in November also has a link in English. Ticket sales are from September 20th.

Thanks again for your replies.

Ronzac

Hi,

I attended the Yonmatsuri last year. It's indeed impossible for foreigners from abroad to reserve the tickets. They opened for sales a month or two before the festival but only for walk-in guests. No online website. If you happen to have friends in Chichibu, you may ask for help.

In my opinion, without getting the seats, there's nothing much to see because of the crowd and obviously, the marvelous ending with fireworks happens in the reserved festival areas only. You may go to the shrine early to watch the start of the parade.

For accommodations, pick one near Seibu-Chichibu station.

Hi Yukievn, thanks very much for your reply.

Because of the ' impossibility ' of getting tickets for the Yomatsuri, I reckon I will be happy to just get tickets for the Sumo event in Fukuoka. Tickets go on sale Sept. 30th. Once purchased, I will book a hotel there, maybe the FORZA hotel.

I may even change my flight, if it's possible, into Osaka, midday on the 21st of November, to include an ongoing flight to Fukuoka from KIX. Sumo is on 22nd and 23rd. Staying in Fukuoka for a few days before heading back to Osaka could be a good idea.

Plan B now applies: Stay in Kansai. Enjoy the many See& Do things there, as yet unseen.

Thanks again

Ronzac