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TONO |
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TONO itself is a small town set among flat rice-lands, with orchards
and pine forests clothing the surrounding hills. Although it's mainly of
interest for its hotels, banks and other facilities, there are a couple
of museums to see before setting off round the valley. From Tono Station
it's an eight-minute walk straight across town and over the river to the
Tono Municipal Museum (daily: April-Oct 9am-5pm; closed last day of the
month & hols; Jan-March, Nov & Dec also closed Mon; ¥300, or ¥500 with
Tono Folk Village), at the back of a red-brick building which doubles as
the library. This entertaining museum gives a good overview of life in
Tono - its festivals, crafts and agricultural traditions - and you can
watch beautifully presented cartoon versionsof the most famous legends
which, though narrated in Japanese, are simple tales and easy to follow.
Walking back towards the station, turn left just across the river for
Tono Folk Village (daily: April-Nov 9am-5pm; closed last day of the
month & Sept 20-30; Jan-March & Dec also closed Mon; ¥300). The "village"
consists of several buildings, including the ryokan where Yanagita
stayed while researching his legends, and an old storehouse containing
more dramatizations of the stories. Look out for the translations of
Japanese fairy-tales by Lafcadio Hearn , compiled in the late nineteenth
century; his interest in these stories helped keep them alive.
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