Tōno Valley

Introducing Tōno Valley

Tōno is a sleepy little town set amid a dramatic valley region, surrounded by rice fields and mountains that harbour a fair population of wild bears. It’s an area that will appeal to those with vivid imaginations and those keen on country air, and it is the birthplace of superstitions and tales that run the gamut from odd to the wildly wacky. The town was also the site of some devastating famines due to poor harvests; much of the lore has a food-prosperity theme.

The present city was formed by the merging of eight villages and much of that rural flavour is preserved today: there are still some examples of the local architectural style of L-shaped farmhouses, known as magariya, where farmfolk and their prized horses lived under one roof, albeit in different sections (unlike the fertility goddess, Oshira-sama). Tōno is the heartland of some of Japan’s most cherished folk legends, including the mischievous kappa water spirits, whose likenesses are found everywhere. Even if you don’t see spirits, you’ll see kappa-sized pumpkins, loofah squashes the length of baseball bats and horses that could contend with the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009