Tamba-Sasayama, a city of Japanese heritage

Tamba-Sasayama is a beautiful city with many historical and cultural attractions, including its emotion-rich castle town; Kondacho, the home of Tambayaki pottery and its 852 years of history; and the post town Fukusumi. It is also said to be "miraculous" that a town with such beautiful scenery can be found only about an hour away from Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. Many special products are produced here, such as Tamba Kuro Edamame (green soybeans), Tamba Kuromame soybeans, Tamba chestnuts, Tamba Sasayama green tea, and Tamba-Sasayama mountain yams, also of which are sought after by the large numbers of tourists that visit every autumn. 　In recent years, new sources of appeal for the town have been created through efforts such as turning traditional houses into hotels and restaurants and utilizing local characteristics and culture. Many successful examples of these regional revitalization efforts have been covered by newspapers, TV, and magazines. 　Two pieces of Tamba-Sasayama culture have been recognized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as Japan Heritage (Japan Heritage Story: Tamba-Sasayama “Dekansho Bushi” folk song and the Rokkoyo (Six Ancient Kilns) that includes Tambayaki pottery), and has also been certified as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.