Tōno is located in central Iwate Prefecture, in the floodplain of the Sarugaishi River, surrounded by a ring of mountains.

Mount Hayachine sits at the northernmost point of the city where Hanamaki, Kawai and Tōno meet.

Accordingly, to legend, in the past the hills in Miyamori blocked the Sarugaishi River creating a large lake in the Tōno area.

In the Early Nine-Years War lasting from 1051 to 1063, Minamoto no Yoshiie fought running battles with Abe no Sadato throughout the area.

During the Meiji period, Tōno developed a silk and cotton weaving industry dependent on Morioka.

The residents of Tōno were reduced to eating wild roots by the famine of this period and many died or moved away.

[5] On October 1, 2005, the village of Miyamori (from Kamihei District) was merged into Tōno to bring the city to its present boundaries.

[6] Tōno has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of eighteen members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Iwate 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Tōno's food includes Genghis Khan or barbecued lamb and hittsumi or wheat dumplings as well as horse meat.

The Tōno Tanabata Festival is held in early August and features a parade of dancers through the city center.

This book is now considered one of the greatest studies of Japanese folklore[citation needed], and inspired the 1982 movie of the same name.