Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [409]
Minshuku Tōno (62-4395; fax 62-4365; www.minshuku-tono.com; 2-17 Zaimoku-chō; r per person incl 2 meals from ¥6300) There are several cheapie places to bed down in Tōno village, but this dignified minshuku behind the station is the best. While not as remote and atmospheric as Magariya, it’s still a quiet little spot, and the owners are keen on using fresh local produce in their home cooking.
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THE CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF TŌHOKU
At the beginning of the 20th century, a collection of regional folk tales was published under the title Tōno Monogatari (Legends of Tōno). They were compiled by Kunio Yanagita (1875–1962), a prominent writer and scholar who is regarded as the father of Japanese folklore. The collection was based on interviews with Tōno resident Kyōseki Sasaki, who was born into a peasant family and who had committed to memory more than 100 densetsu (local legends). What Yanagita and Sasaki unearthed immediately captured the nation’s imagination, bringing into rich focus the oral storytelling traditions of a region hitherto almost completely ignored.
The cast of characters and situations is truly weird and wonderful, and draws heavily on the concept of animism, a system of belief that attributes a personal spirit to everything that exists, including animals and inanimate objects. One of the more striking tales concerns a simple village girl who married her horse. As you might imagine, this was against her father’s wishes, so the father hung the horse from a mulberry tree and beheaded it. The girl, clutching the horse’s head, then flew off to heaven where she became Oshira-sama, the fertility goddess. Today, Oshira-sama dolls are still important ceremonial objects for itako (mediums); Click here.
Elsewhere, there are shape-shifting foxes; elderly folk who are cast off into the wilderness to die; impish water spirits called kappa, who sumō-wrestle passers-by to the ground and who like to pull their victim’s intestines out through their anus; zashiki warashi spirits, who live in the corners of houses and play tricks on the residents; and wild men who live in the hills and eat children. Throughout all of them is a common theme: the battle with nature and the struggle to tame the elements – everyday features of rural life, of which Tōno is an exemplar.
Legends of Tōno is available, in English, for ¥2000 from the souvenir shop next to the Tōno tourist information office.
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Folkloro Tōno (62-0700; fax 62-0800; 5-7 Shinkoku-chō; r per person incl 2 meals ¥8800) A standard business hotel that is curiously located right above the JR Tōno station, so it’s a good choice if you want a central home base, or if you’re partial to Western-style rooms. The train is infrequent, but when it comes, you’ll certainly know.
Minshuku Magariya (62-4564; 30-58-3 Niisato, Ayaori-chō; r per person incl 2 meals from ¥9750; ) If you came to Tōno to escape urban Japan, then head to this pastoral farmhouse and inn, located about 3km southwest of the station along Rte 283 – if you don’t have a car, take a taxi (around ¥1000). True to its roots, Magariya is centred on a large hearth where guests congregate for hearty country cooking, while old-fashioned tatami rooms practically open up into the forest.
Umenoya (62-2622; meals from ¥650; 11.30am-8pm) On the main road in front of the train station, Umenoya is a popular place for a light meal or just a small snack. Grab a picture menu and choose from rāmen, soba, udon, omelettes, curry rice and sandwiches.
Ichiriki (62-2008; meals from ¥800; 11am-8pm, closed irregularly) With its cosy interior covered with advisory posters on the walls for those wishing to go kappa hunting, this traditional spot four blocks south of the station is a great spot to try hitsuko soba (¥1000), a local dish of handmade noodles, chicken, raw egg and veggies.
If you want to prepare a picnic lunch or bentō (boxed meal), check out the food shops in the Topia department store in front of the station.
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