HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Tono Furusato Village in Iwate
Experience life in a traditional Japanese village in Tono and learn from the guardians about living harmoniously with nature
Tono Furusato Shosha Co., Ltd.
Located in Iwate Prefecture, Tono Furusato Village is an open-air museum that preserves the traditional rural lifestyle of Tono, in harmony with nature.
Explore the thatched roof houses, which were built from the Edo period (1603–1867) to the early Meiji era (1868–1912). The grounds are dotted with horses grazing, rice paddies, and fields, recreating the daily landscape of a farming village. This timeless atmosphere shines in every season, and Tono has been used as the location for numerous films and TV dramas.
At Tono Furusato Village, you can see L-shaped thatched roof houses known as ｍagariya, an unusual design that reflects Tono’s history as a horse-rearing region. Residents raised their horses with great care and helped them stay warm during Iwate’s harsh winters by housing them under the same roof as the rest of the family.
You can experience traditional crafts such as rice-straw rope crafting taught by the maburitto, the guardians of Tono’s culture, traditions, and wisdom. Learn about the local wildlife and how people made tools, and listen to the stories of the maburitto. You’ll feel like you have stepped back in time to the traditional Japanese rural life of yesteryear.
How to get there
From Tokyo Station, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Shin-Hanamaki Station (about 2 hours and 30 minutes). From there, take the JR Kamaishi Line to Tono Station (about 1 hour). Tono Furusato Village is about 20 minutes away by car or 30 minutes by bus.
5-89-1 Kamitsukimoshi, Tsukimoushi-cho, Tono-shi, Iwate-ken
