The Neighboring City of Kamaishi, Tono

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the neighboring city of Kamaishi, Tono. This city is renowned for having preserved farm houses dating back to the Edo period. Here, the land is mostly used for agriculture. On our way by car to a the biggest shrine in Tono, Hachiman Shrine, we stopped for lunch at a popular yakiniku style restaurant. This shop is renowned for its lamb meat which is ordered raw. Then, you self cook it on a miniature grill built into the table. This is a great restaurant to visit with friends. Afterwards, we arrived at the Hachiman Shrine where a priestess personally showed me around the temple grounds. I learned through the priestess, that this shrine is dedicated to thanking wildlife for giving their lives to hunters.  Many festivals are held at this shrine year round. 

Afterwards, we visited an area that is historically preserved. This historical area contains wealthy farm houses, as they were, during the Edo period. The uniqueness of this sight is that people are allowed to freely venture in and out of the houses. There are also many historical items that you can touch. The grounds were very beautiful. A small stream of water traveled in-between the houses. Occasional stone bridges were made so that the farmers could cross over the stream. When we reached the second house, this house contained a white horse. The stable was attached to the house since family members wanted to always have sight of their horses. During the Edo period, horses were extremely valuable and families relied on them for farming purposes. 

One of the best things about Tono is the possibility of going horseback riding. I highly recommend that if you have time, you take a day to visit the peaceful countryside of Tono.