Shirahata Miyoshi, my former ragweaving teacher in Tono, earlier this year celebrated her 100th birthday. A friend in Tono sent photos from the party held to celebrate the event. I used one here against a throw I wove while studying with Miyoshi, who was also a nationally-known storyteller. Tono is in Iwate prefecture, in northeastern Japan, and is known for its remarkable legends, collected by folklorist Yanagida Kunio, who visited Tono early in the 2oth century. One hundred years ago Yanagida published a compilation of the legends under the title Tono monogatari (The Legends of Tono). I often heard Miyoshi recount legends that she learned as a little girl sitting around the open hearth in her family farmhouse. She was an unforgettable storyteller and a local treasure.
Happy 100th to Shirahata Miyoshi and the Tono monogatari!
