Visit this hidden gem in Iwate prefecture during the Tono Meguritoroge festival for a unique cultural experience in Japan
Visiting the rural town of Tono in Iwate prefecture is a magical experience. Tono is known as the home of Japanese folktales and yokai (mythical spirits), a reputation that stems from the area’s rich history and traditions. To celebrate this cultural significance, a group of producers and locals have teamed up to host a relatively new festival called Tono Meguritoroge, which has been going on for just over three years now.
During the festival, locals welcome visitors to the area by giving them tours of historically significant landmarks as well as inviting them to take part in workshops and sample traditional Tono cuisine. The festival culminates in a grand finale highlighting Tono’s performing arts, with a brilliant showcase of the traditional Shishi odori or lion dance, which is reimagined as a modern and riveting performance.
With the Tono Meguritoroge festival set to return sometime in autumn 2024, here’s a sneak peek at what you expect during the celebrations as well as some unmissable landmarks around Tono. Additionally, if you want another way to experience the traditional Shishi odori dance, you can catch the annual Tono Festival, held during the third week of September, where performers including local dance groups parade through the city streets.
For more on the Tono Meguritoroge festival, visit the website and follow them on Instagram.
If you’re up for a bit of adventure, trekking up to Gohyaku Rakan, also known as the Five Hundred Arhats, is worth the short hike. This lush forest area is where, more than 200 years ago, a Buddhist priest from a nearby temple carved 500 Buddhist figures into the surface of rocks to honour people who had died during crop failures. These stones make for an astounding sight, as they've been left untouched and have been naturally preserved for hundreds of years.
Want to see what people in Tono lived like during the Edo period (1603-1868)? Make a visit to Tono Furusato Village. This beautiful outdoor museum is home to numerous preserved thatched-roof houses from Edo times and offers fun craft workshops where you can learn how to extract dye material from vegetables, work wood or make straw crafts. During the Tono Meguritoroge festival, Tono Furusato Village is also where visitors are able to learn from the Shishi odori dancers and try out moves for themselves.
A smaller shrine in the area known as Sugawara Shrine sets the stage for a wonderful local festival filled with Shishi odori dancers, taiko drummers, and young performers learning dance moves that have been passed down for generations. At this celebration, you can get a closer look at the magnificent lion costumes that are worn by the Shishi odori dancers.
Instead of a hotel, try a stay at a local bed and breakfast where you can mingle with friendly locals and learn more about this culturally rich area. Yamagara Bunko is one such accommodation, run by a lovely couple who love to share stories of their travels and tidbits about past Shishi odori festivals as you graze over a wonderful homemade breakfast.
One of the must-eat dishes in Tono is jingisukan, or lamb and vegetables grilled on a metal skillet. The speciality can be enjoyed at a number of restaurants in the area, but you can also taste it at Tono Furusato Village, where grills are set up outside so you can enjoy your meal amongst nature. For jingisukan, a special dome-shaped grill is used, allowing for all those savoury meat drippings to flavour the vegetables that are stacked around the bottom of the grill.
Hayachine Shrine is the oldest shrine in Tono and also measures in as the tallest. The elegant structure, built in 1612, is an exemplary showcase for the architectural techniques used back in the day. In 2009, the kagura dances performed at the shrine were designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco.
The highlight of the Tono Meguritoroge festival is the Shishi odori performance that takes place at Rokko-shi Shrine. Festivities kick off as the sun begins to set, and visitors slowly start to make their way up to the main shrine area by following the Shishi odori dance troupes. After the initial dance performance to set the festival in motion, guests can browse a number of food and drink stalls serving dishes from some of Tono’s best restaurants and bars.
Once the sun has fully gone down, the night sky paves way for the reinterpreted version of the Shishi odori, for which troupes pull out their best moves as they dance along to colourful lights and music from top electronic artists including Daisuke Tanabe and Yosi Horikawa. This unique collaboration highlights the traditional dance in a new light and is a spectacular way to experience age-old traditions with a contemporary twist.
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