Tono City Museum

The Tono City Museum, located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, serves as the primary cultural institution preserving and presenting the folklore and traditions of the Tono region. Established to showcase the area's rich heritage of folk tales and rural life, the museum takes its inspiration from Kunio Yanagita's seminal work "The Legends of Tono" published in 1910, which documented over 100 folk tales from local residents and became a foundational text in Japanese folklore studies.

The museum's permanent collection focuses on the daily life, customs, and belief systems of traditional Tono society. Visitors encounter exhibits detailing the region's famous legends, including stories of kappa (water spirits), zashiki-warashi (household spirits), and oshira-sama (deity figures), which have made Tono known as the hometown of Japanese folklore. The displays combine historical artifacts, agricultural tools, traditional crafts, and multimedia presentations that explain how these folk beliefs were interwoven with the agricultural calendar and mountain worship practices of the area.

The museum experience includes reconstructed traditional farmhouses and detailed dioramas depicting scenes from local legends and seasonal festivals. Visitors can view collections of folk art, textiles, and household items that illustrate life in rural Japan during the Edo and Meiji periods. The facility also features rotating special exhibitions that explore specific aspects of regional culture, from traditional horse breeding practices to seasonal celebrations.

Tono City Museum is accessible from Tono Station on the JR Kamaishi Line, approximately 10 minutes by car or local bus. The museum is located near other cultural sites in the city, making it convenient to visit as part of a broader exploration of Tono's heritage. Admission fees are approximately ¥310 for adults, with reduced rates for students and children. Combination tickets covering multiple folklore-related sites in Tono are available at discounted rates for visitors planning to explore the region's cultural attractions comprehensively.