Tono Folktales — Kappa Legends & Magariya Farmhouses

Tono Furusato Village is the main attraction — the six magariya farmhouses demonstrate Edo-period rural architecture. The shared human-horse buildings (magariya means 'bent house' due to L-shape) reflected the importance of horses in northern agriculture and transport. Horses lived in one wing, humans in the other, sharing warmth and allowing farmers to care for horses without going outside in winter. Craftspeople demonstrate traditional work inside the houses — watch and try straw crafts, weaving, or paper-making. The village rice paddies and gardens use historical cultivation methods. Kappa-buchi pool is a 10-minute walk from the folklore museum — a small forested pond with a shrine where visitors can fish for kappa using cucumbers (kappa's favorite food) tied to bamboo poles. The ritual is playful but rooted in genuine folklore. Kappa are water spirits with turtle shells, webbed hands, and a bowl of water on their heads (spilling it weakens them). They're mischievous, sometimes dangerous, and fond of cucumbers and sumo wrestling. The zashiki-warashi house spirit brings good fortune to households where it resides, appearing as a small child. Tono's isolation in mountains and harsh winters generated rich supernatural folklore explaining mysterious phenomena. The area was historically poor, and folktales provided cultural richness in material scarcity. Visit during Tono Folktales Festival (February) for storytelling events and traditional performing arts.