Seasoning the Seasons — Season 1, Episode 3: Spirited Away to Tono

Episode synopsis

The folklorist, Kunio Yanagita, wrote his "Tono Monogatari" (Tales of Tono) about a century ago. The book related how mysterious beings such as the kappa river goblins, the zashikiwarashi child spirits, mountain gods and ghosts had their willful way, reporting the events as eye-witness accounts and present-day happenings. It led its readers - mostly dwellers of the plains facing the first waves of modernization - to the psychological heart of the humble Japanese people, hemmed in as they were by mountains and rivers. Today, though, 100 years later, what has become of those old beliefs in the amazing creatures and gods described in the book? We follow the lives of people in Tono for a year, from their faith in the tutelary Oshirasama gods made from staves of mulberry wood to the rites of the Bon Festival of the Dead, rediscovering the old Japanese ways of thinking and reverence for the things that surpass human powers.

About Seasoning the Seasons

This program visits places across Japan to introduce the charms of their local daily life and festivals fostered by the nation's long history.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Kyoto: Coloring the Season
• E2Kakunodate: Stories of Old Families
• E4Japanese Towers: Memories Past and Present
• E5Matsushima: Islands of Beauty and Prayer
• E6Suwa: A Celebration Down Through Time
• E7Niyodo River: Living with Japan's Clearest River
• E8Mt. Fuji
• E9Awa Dance: Obon Festival with 100,000 Dancers
• E10Kamakura: Samurai and Zen
• E11Itsukushima: Island of the Gods
• E12Hand-Made in Japan
• E13Dolls: Bearers of Dreams