Inheritance Park

Inheritance Park

Inheritance Park is an open-air museum located in Iwate Prefecture in the northeastern region of Japan, established to promote the folk tales of the Tono area. It is also one of the most famous tourist attractions in Tono City. Visitors to Inheritance Park can not only hear many folk stories from the Tono region but also visit a traditional L-shaped Nanbu Kura house, designated as an important cultural property of Japan, and experience firsthand the daily life of Tono’s past.

The Tono area has long passed down numerous folk tales orally from generation to generation. In 1912, Kunio Yanagita wrote a collection of local legends titled Tono Monogatari based on stories narrated by Kizen Sasaki, a renowned folklorist born in Tono City. The book details a wide range of myths and tales, including stories about yokai such as kappa and tengu, ghost stories involving mysterious disappearances and the dead, as well as legends about gods and festivals. To help more people learn about these folk tales, Inheritance Park regularly organizes storytelling sessions led by elderly locals.

Denshoen

Why Visit: One of Tono’s most important cultural heritage museums

Continent: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region: Japan[Japan]

Province/State: Iwate Prefecture [Iwate Prefecture]

City: Tōno City [Tōno]