Page 283 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

NOR THERN HONSHU  281

for poor farmers in Iwate. The shared by people and horses) are
Miyazawa Kenji Museum left, but the mountains ringing
has exhibits that reflect the Tono basin are still beautiful.
Miyazawa’s lifelong interests Tono’s attractions are best
in minerology, astro nomy, reached by car or bicycle, both
wildlife, agricult ure, Espe ranto, of which can be rented at the
and Buddhism. There is also the station. At the private Naka­
Ihatov, a free arts and research yama House, in Kamigo district,
center. Ihatov was Miyazawa’s you can see wonderful 350-
Esperanto name for Iwate. year-old oshirasama dolls. The
Municipal Museum in the town Morioka’s “stone-splitting” tree
P Miyazawa Kenji Museum center introduces local culture.
Tel (0198) 31-2319. Open daily. & At Denshoen, a mellow tourist t Morioka
venue in Tsuchibuchi Morioka
district, local experts
teach traditional crafts. Iwate prefecture. * 295,000. £
A short walk away are n 2nd flr, JR stn (019) 625-2090.
Kappabuchi stream and _ Chagu-chagu Umakko (Horse
Festival, 2nd Sat in Jun).
the tem ple of Joken­ji, ∑ city.morioka.iwate.jp
both traditionally the
home of kappa (water An old castle town, once the
imps). North west of the center of the Nanbu domain,
railroad station Tono Morioka is now Iwate’s capital
Furusato Village has six and a transportation hub for the
magariya, where you can north, known for its Nanbu
see traditional craftwork tetsubin (iron kettles) and Mount
A wooden torii (gate) to Mount Hayachine being made. Hayachine Iwate, the majestic volcano over-
Shrine, a 30-minute drive looking it. In October salmon run
r Tono from the station, is known for its up the Nakatsu River, one of
Tono Kagura (sacred dances), and three rivers that bisect the city.
Mount Hayachine is popular All that remains of Morioka
Iwate prefecture. * 31,000. £
n by JR stn (0198) 62-1333. with climbers. Castle, in Iwate Park, are its stone
_ Tono Matsuri (mid-Sep). walls and moats. Nearby is the
E Nakayama House over 350-year-old “stone-
In Tono people still live in rhythm Tel (0198) 65-2609. Open by appt splitting” cherry tree,
with nature, and ob serve old only. which has grown
ways and traditions. Much has P Municipal Museum from a crevice in
changed, though, since folklorist Tel (0198) 62-2340. Open Apr–Oct: a boulder.
Kunio Yanagita compiled the daily; Nov–Mar: Tue–Sun. Closed last Over Nakatsu
Legends of Tono in 1910. Few of day of month in May–Oct, Mar 1–4, River is the Mor­
the magariya (L-shaped houses, Nov 24–30, public hols. & ihisa Iron Studio,
which has superb Nanbu iron kettle
Japanese Dolls iron pieces on
display. If you want to buy folk
More than a thousand years ago, simple cloth dolls called sarukko crafts, head for Konya­cho
were attached to babies’ clothing as charms against harm. The (dyers’ street), to the north, and
thousands of clay dolls unearthed at Jomon-period sites are also Zaimoku­cho (lumber street),
believed to have had symbolic functions. These dolls remind some to the left across Asahi bridge.
scholars of oshirasama dolls – stick fig ures, usually of a horse and a Morioka is home to the
girl, made of mulberry or bamboo and draped in layers of cloth – still noodle-eating tradition of
found, and venerated, in parts of northern Japan. Other favorites wanko-soba. At Azumaya Soba
include: the limbless painted kokeshi dolls, made by woodturners at Shop, small bowls of soba
hot-spring towns around northern Japan; ohinasama, the elaborate buck wheat are placed in front
tiered arrays of silk court dolls dis played each Girls’ Day (March 3);
and anesan ningyo (big sister dolls), of customers who are then
ingenious figures encour aged to finish as many
folded from as possible. At the end, they
paper. get official certificates
indicating the total number
of bowls consumed.
E Morihisa Iron Studio
Tel (019) 622-3809. Open Mon–Sat.
Oshirasama dolls in Tono’s Nakayama House 0 Azumaya Soba Shop
Tel (0120) 733-130.

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