Tono (遠野) is located in south-eastern Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan.  Tono lies in the middle of the Kitakami Basin (北上盆地) and is surrounded by beautiful Kitakami Mountains (北上山地): such geographical feature have created and preserved Tono's traditional culture.  The Sarukaishi River (猿石川; lit. Monkey's Stone River) gently flows through the southern part of the city.  During its feudal days until the Edo Period, Tono flourished as a market place, lodging town and castle   On December 1, 1954, the eight municipalities of Aozasa (青笹村), Ayaori (綾織村), Kamigo (上郷村), Matsuzaki (松崎村), Otomo (小友村), Tono (遠野町), Tsuchibuchi (土淵村) and Tsukimoushi (附馬牛村) merged to become Tono City (遠野市).  Tono is famous for its folklore heritage as recorded in Tono Monogarari (『遠野物語』; The Legends of Tono), written by Kunio Yanagida (柳田国男, 1875-1962) in 1912 (rev. ed. 1935).  Japanese modern folklore studies started with Tono.  The current population, after merging with the adjacent Miyamori Village (宮守村), is 33,108 (October 1, 2005).

  Probably Tono is famous as a Kappa Country.  "Kappa" (河童; lit. "river child") is an imaginary creature which has been told all over Japan.  The following article is extracted from The Daily Yomiuri On-Line (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/nanjo/nanjo13.htm):

  Once Upon a Time...  A kappa, a small malicious water-dwelling creature, received its comeuppance one day from a horse that was left beside a river by its master, a young boy who wanted to play with his friends.  Licking its lips at this unexpected "meal," the kappa dragged the horse deep into the river so that it could dine at its leisure.  But it did not reckon on the horse's strength.  The horse bucked and twisted until it managed to pull the kappa out of the river and all the way back to the stable.  Deprived of its watery milieu, the kappa frantically turned over the horse's trough and hid beneath it.  But it was soon discovered.  The villagers gathered to discuss what to do with the creature. Most wanted to kill it so that it would cause the village no more harm.
  But the kappa pleaded, "Spare my life. I swear that I will never again cause any trouble."
  Moved by the appeal, the villagers decided to set it free, but only after it left behind a paw print as a token of its promise. The kappa left and was never heard of again.
*** *** ***

  A kappa is said to be about the size of a 13-year-old child and has a greenish or blueish color.  A saucer-like contraption on its head contains water. When the water in the saucer runs out or evaporates, the kappa loses its supernatural powers.
  It usually preys on humans and animals, but it also likes cucumbers. (Remember kappa rolls?)
  Kappa stories are told everywhere in Japan, but the ones that come from Tono, Iwate Prefecture, are perhaps the most famous. Kunio Yanagita wrote his classic "Tono Monogatari (The Legends of Tono)" by recreating the folklore of this remote mountain town in 1910.
  These tales do not always have happy endings. Many deal with famines and the ill-treatment of stepchildren.
  "In olden times, poor families often killed newborns because they could not afford to raise them," a local city official said.  "They generally threw their bodies into rivers. Perhaps adults made up kappa stories so that children would be afraid to go near the rivers and see the dead babies."  --Story by Saki Ouchi

  For further studying Tono, one English translation available:

Yanagida, Kunio.  The Legends of Tono. 
  Translated, with an introduction by Ronald A. Morse. 
  Tokyo: The Japan Foundation, 1975 (repr. 2002).

IMAGE	IMAGE NO.	DATA
City Center
	ton2003-001	(Wednesday 13 August) Craftshop near Tono Folk Village, viewed from Ote-bashi Bridge
	ton2003-002	(Wednesday 13 August) "Sendai-ya" (せんだいや), a "dagashi-ya" (traditional cheap sweet shop), Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-003	(Wednesday 13 August) "Sendai-ya," a "dagashi-ya" (traditional cheap sweet shop), Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-004	(Wednesday 13 August) "Sendai-ya," a "dagashi-ya" (traditional cheap sweet shop), Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-005	(Wednesday 13 August) "Sendai-ya," a "dagashi-ya" (traditional cheap sweet shop), Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-006	(Wednesday 13 August) "Sendai-ya," a "dagashi-ya" (traditional cheap sweet shop), Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-007	(Wednesday 13 August) "Ichiriki" (一力), a traditional Japanese restaurant, Hitoichi St.  Highly recommended.
	ton2003-008	(Wednesday 13 August) Kobayashi Aramono-ten (traditional hardware & basket shop) in the opposite side of Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-009	(Wednesday 13 August) Tono Station
	ton2003-010	(Wednesday 13 August) Script of Momument of Kunio Yanagida (柳田国男)'s Tono Monogatari (『遠野物語』; The Legends of Tono, 1912), in front of Tono Station: it is cited from the foreword of the book.
	ton2003-011	(Wednesday 13 August) "Daruma-ya" (だるま屋; Soba or buckwheat noodles) restaurant; the most popular food is "Kuretsubo Soba." It is soba assorted with mashed turnip called "Kuretsubo kabula": Tono's Kuretsubo soba has become popular since the popular Japanese comic Oishimbo, vol.32 played up in 1991.
Folk Village		"Tono Mukashi-banashi-mura" (遠野昔話村; Tono Folk Village) is located in the city center of Tono: It includes the former "Takazen Ryoka"n known as "Ryuou-juku" where the famous folklorist Kunio Yanagida used to stay
	ton2003-012	(Wednesday 13 August) Gate to Tono Folk Village, Hitoichi St.
	ton2003-013	(Wednesday 13 August) Ms. Yae Abe, a popular storyteller.  Born at a farmer's house of Matsuzaki Village (now Matsuzaki-cho of Tono),  she studied the legends of Tono and the local children's songs as important learning from the local people.  Her storytelling is characteristic of many children's songs connected to the local history. &"The legendary world of Tono is the world of the goships and the rumors to know to live in the village," as she says.
	ton2003-014	(Wednesday 13 August) Kunio Yanagida's favorite guest room.  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (柳翁宿; the former "Takazen Ryokan"; 旧高善旅館), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-015	(Wednesday 13 August) Another guest room.  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former "Takazen Ryokan"), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-016	(Wednesday 13 August) Cashier.  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-017	(Wednesday 13 August) Private living room.  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-018	(Wednesday 13 August) Small house shrine and the garden.  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-019	(Wednesday 13 August) Private family room ("butsuma").  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-020	(Wednesday 13 August) Private family rooms  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-021	(Wednesday 13 August) Private family hall.  Courtesy of "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-022	(Wednesday 13 August) "Jinriki-sha" (rikisha).  Courtesy of Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-023	(Wednesday 13 August) "Ryuou-juku" ("Kunio Yanagida the Elder's Hotel"; the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
	ton2003-024	(Wednesday 13 August) Bust of Kunio Yanagida and "Ryuou-juku" (the former Takazen Ryokan), Tono Folk Village
Nambu-jinjya		Nambu-jinjya Shrine (南部神社) stands in the former Nabekura-jo Castle (鍋倉城) site.
	ton2003-025	(Wednesday 13 August) Gate to Nambu-jinjya Shrine (Old Nabekura-jo Castle site)
	ton2003-026	(Wednesday 13 August) Main Hall of Nambu-jinjya Shrine
Gohyaku Rakan		"Gohyaku Rakan" (五百羅漢; the five hundred Buddha's disciples who attained Nirvana).  You can see other "Gohyaku Rakans" in other places over Japan (for instance, Morioka's one is famous in Iwate).  Tono's was carved on the granites on the hill between 1765-67 by Gizan the 19th chief priest of Daiji-ji Buddhist Temple in order to comfort the spirits of the victims of repeated great famines at that time.
	ton2003-027	(Wednesday 13 August) Road sign of "Gohyaku Rakan" (the five hundred Buddha's disciples who attained Nirvana), located on the wooded hillside about 300 meters above Unedori Shrine
	ton2003-028	(Wednesday 13 August) "Hokora" (祠; small shrine) near "Gohyaku Rakan."  "Hokora" is an extremely small shrine.  Originally, "hokora" meant beautiful storehouse and was used to refer to sacred storehouses and shrine buildings.  Today, however, it usually refers to small wayside shrines.
	ton2003-029	(Wednesday 13 August) "Gohyaku Rakan" (the five hundred Buddha's disciples who attained Nirvana)
	ton2003-030	(Wednesday 13 August) "Gohyaku Rakan" (the five hundred Buddha's disciples who attained Nirvana)
	ton2003-031	(Wednesday 13 August) "Gohyaku Rakan" (the five hundred Buddha's disciples who attained Nirvana)
	ton2003-032	(Wednesday 13 August) "Gohyaku Rakan" (the five hundred Buddha's disciples who attained Nirvana)
Taro-buchi		"Taro-buchi" (太郎淵; Taro the Kappa's small pool).  Taro was known as a naughty and amorous kappa.  As the legends say, there lived so many kappas in the Sarukaishi River.
	ton2003-033	(Wednesday 13 August) Information board of "Taro-buchi" (Taro the Kappa's small pool) by the Sarukaishi River
	ton2003-034	(Wednesday 13 August) "Taro-buchi" ("Taro the Kappa's small pool" by the Sarukaishi River
Densho-en		Densho-en (伝承園; Folklore Center) is located in the northern part of Tono in Tsuchibuchi-cho on Route 340, about 150 meters west of Joken-ji Temple
	ton2003-035	(Wednesday 13 August) Museum and Bust of Kazen Sasaki (1886-1933); the folklorist born in Tono and famous storyteller for Kunio Yanagida.  Densho-en, north of the city center in Tsuchibuchi-cho on Route 340, about 150 meters west of Joken-ji Temple (see the pics below).
	ton2003-036	(Wednesday 13 August) "Ita-gura" (板倉; wooden storehouse), Densho-en
	ton2003-037	(Wednesday 13 August) "Yuki-gakure" (literally "Beneath the snow"; euphemism for toilet) & "Yu-dono" (bath house), Densho-en
	ton2003-038	(Wednesday 13 August) "Nambu Magari-ya" (南部曲家; the Nambu L-shaped house), Densho-en.  As an example of Nambu (Central and Northern Iwate) rural architecture, the Magari-ya was designed with an element of practically and an effort to establish harmony with its surrounding nature.  The L-shaped design of the house was very practical as the family occupied the long part of the "L" and their livestock (mostly horses) the short end.  The best Magari-ya house open to the public is, however, the Chiba family (千葉家)'s, located 500 meters away from the Tsuzuki-ishi (続石; Rock of Tsuduki, looking like the Irish dolmens, built during Japan's Tulmulus Period) along Route 396 on the way to Morioka.
	ton2003-039	(Wednesday 13 August) Kitchen of the "Magari-ya," Densho-en
	ton2003-040	(Wednesday 13 August) Living room of the "Magari-ya," Densho-en
	ton2003-041	(Wednesday 13 August) More than one thousand Oshira-sama (オシラサマ) in the Oshira-jinjya Shrine, Densho-en.  Oshira-sama, born out of the tragic end of the forbidden love of a girl and her horse, is the deity of sericulture, and also variously of human eyes, prophecy, and even gynecological disorders.
	ton2003-042	(Wednesday 13 August) A water mill, Densho-en
Joken-ji Temple		It is believed that Joken-ji Temple (常堅寺) was founded in 1490 by Hidemori Tamon (多聞秀守), a Zen Buddhist.  Joken-ji Temple, belonging to the Soto-shu sect (曹洞宗) of Buddhism, is the "Fure Gashira" or the first of the 12 temples of Tono.  The Kappa-Koma-inu statue, whose origin is quite unique, is located near the temple (sorry, I forgot taking a pic!).
	ton2003-043	(Wednesday 13 August) Gate of Joken-ji Temple, about 4.6 km north-east of Tono Station, along Route 340.
	ton2003-044	(Wednesday 13 August) Historic site of the Abe (阿部) clan's mansion."  The Abe clan governed the area until Yoritoki (頼時), Sadato (貞任) and Muneto (宗任) Abe were defeated by Yoriyoshi (頼義) and Yoshiie Minamoto (源義家) in the Earlier Nine Years' War (前九年の役, 1051-62).
	ton2003-045	(Wednesday 13 August) As recorded in The Legends of Tono, there once lived a guardian Kappa in one of the stream's small pools which is called "Kappa-buchi" (カッパ淵; behind Joken-ji Temple).  A small shrine for Kappa is on the left.
	ton2003-046	(Wednesday 13 August) "Kappa-buchi" behind Joken-ji Temple
	ton2003-047	(Wednesday 13 August) "Kappa-buchi" behind Joken-ji Temple
	ton2003-048	(Wednesday 13 August) "Kappa-buchi" Bridge behind Joken-ji Temple

        

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