Culture and legends of Tono by bicycle: A model cycling course for sightseeing in Tono

First, rent a bicycle here.

Rental hours: 8:30-17:00 *Not available on rainy days or during the winter (December-March) Price: City bike (4 hours: 720 yen, until 17:00: 1,120 yen)
Electrically assisted city bicycles and electrically assisted cross bikes (4 hours: 1,100 yen, until 17:00: 1,500 yen)
*10% discount for those staying in Tono city

One of Japan's leading museums specializing in folklore. Since the exhibits are centered around the "Tales of Tono," by visiting here first you can learn about the culture of Tono and its background, which will give you a deeper understanding of the stories.

For lunch, be sure to try the city's specialty, "Tono Jingisukan"!

Tono Sheep Project

A facility where you can experience the world of folk tales. Within the park are the Nambu Magariya House, a nationally designated important cultural property, the Sasaki Kizen Memorial Museum, and the Oshiradou, a shrine dedicated to Oshirasama.

At the restaurant "Oshiratei" in Denshoen, you can eat local dishes with a gentle taste such as "Hittsumi." Be sure to also try the specialty "Kappa-yaki."

Many kappa live in the pool of this stream, and there are many stories of them scaring people and playing tricks on them. The gently flowing Kappa Pool is covered in thick vegetation, making it feel like a kappa could appear at any time.

Jokenji Temple

Kappa-buchi is a small stream that flows behind Joken-ji, an ancient and historic temple of the Soto sect that was founded in 1490.

Within the grounds of Jokenji Temple, there is a guardian lion statue known as the "kappa lion dog" because it has a circular depression on its head that looks like a kappa's plate when water collects there.

Kappa Tea House

Take a break at Kappa no Chaya, a resting place located between Denshoen and Kappabuchi (Jokenji Temple). The most popular item at Kappa no Chaya is the Zashiki Warashi Soft Serve Ice Cream, made with plenty of red beans, the favorite food of the Zashiki Warashi.

The soft serve ice cream has a mild flavor and the red cone, which resembles a kimono, is cute.

*From July to early August, you can see the green curtain of the hop fields right in front of you.

This experiential facility was renovated from the storehouse of a sake brewery that used to be located here, and allows visitors to enjoy the sights and sounds of old tales passed down in the Tono region for generations.

This complex, which consists of several buildings, is a place that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, including the "Mukashibanashigura" where you can experience the world of fairy tales, the "Yanagita Kunio Exhibition Hall," which is a relocated building associated with Yanagita Kunio, the author of the "Tono Monogatari," the "Tonoza" where you can enjoy fairy tales and local performing arts, the "Tono Tabi no Sanchi Furubaisho," a souvenir shop, as well as the "Ito-ya" restaurant serving delicious soba noodles and "Brew Note Tono," where you can enjoy Tono beer.

This time, we introduced a model course that is perfect for a one-day cycling trip, but there are also other attractions to stay overnight in Tono City and spots to visit by car. We will continue to introduce these, so don't miss them!