Chichibu Film Festival

Returning for its fourth incarnation, the Chichibu Film Festival is a great excuse to visit this picturesque town close enough from Tokyo but far from anything resembling hustle and bustle. In addition to the free nine-film programme, which features exclusively domestic flicks – from the two Little Forest (2014/15) movies to part five in the Tora-san series (Tora-san's Runaway, 1970) – you can look forward to festival grub made with local produce and even a pop-up bar dedicated to Ichiro's Malt, the Chichibu-made craft whisky that's become an international sensation. And if you're looking for more things to do while you're there, check out the Chichibu section of our Seibu line guide.