, formerly known as , is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in the central eastern part of

Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...

, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 40,050 in 17523 households and a population density of 110 persons per km². The total area of the city is

Geography

Tamba-Sasayama is located in an inland basin surrounded by mountains on all sides in the eastern part of the prefecture. It is located in the mountains between the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

and the Sea of Japan. The city has a slightly rectangular area east–west and north–south.

Neighboring municipalities

Hyōgo Prefecture * Tamba * Nishiwaki * Sanda * Katō * Inagawa Osaka Prefecture * Nose Kyoto Prefecture *

Nantan Nantan may refer to: *Nantan, Kyoto, Japan *Nantan, Shwegu, Burma *Nantan Prison, China {{place name disambiguation *''Also see List of prisons in Qinghai, China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East ...

* Fukuchiyama * Kyōtamba

Climate

Tamba-Sasayama has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tamba-Sasayama is 13.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1582 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.8 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Tamba-Sasayama peaked around 1950 and has been relatively stable for the past 50 years.

History

The area of Tamba-Sasayama was part of ancient Tanba Province, and corresponds almost exactly with ancient Taki District. Sasayama developed as a castle town around Sasayama Castle, which was constructed in the early Edo Period. The town of Sasayama was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system, and expanded its borders through municipal mergers with neighboring villages in 1955 and 1975. It was raised to city status on April 1, 1999, from the merger of the former town of

Sasayama , formerly known as , is a city in the central eastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 40,050 in 17523 households and a population density of 110 persons per km2. The total area of the city is Geograph ...

, absorbing the towns of

Konda Konda may refer to: *Kondia or Konda, 18th century Mansi principality, Russia *Konda (river) in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia * Konda (Vitim), river in Buryatia, Russia * Konda, Indonesia, a town in West Papua * Konda, Angola, municipal ...

, Nishiki and Tannan (all from Taki District). On November 18, 2018, the city held a successful referendum on changing its name from Sasayama to Tamba-Sasayama in reference to the historical Tanba Province, which still has some influence on local branding and politics. The referendum about changing a municipality's name is the first of its kind in Japan, and the new name officially came into effect in May 2019.

Government

Tamba-Sasayama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Tamba-Sasayama contributes one member to the

Hyogo Prefectural Assembly The is the prefectural parliament of Hyogo Prefecture. The assembly's 87 members are elected every four years in 40 districts by single non-transferable vote. Nine of the electoral districts correspond with the wards of Kobe city and the rema ...

. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo fifth district of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

Economy

Tamba-Sasayama has mostly a rural economy based on agriculture and forestry. Tamba-Sasayama is well known in the Kansai region for its agriculture and food products, specifically ''kuromame'' or ''kuro daizu'' (black soybeans), mountain yam, Japanese chestnuts,

azuki bean ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...

matsutake , ''Tricholoma matsutake'', is a species of choice edible mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in East Asia, Europe, and North America. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor. Etymology The common name and specifi ...

, beef, wild boar and venison. Tourism, including

agritourism Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Types A 2018 article published in the ''Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development'' classified a ...

, is playing an increasing role in the local economy.

Education

Tamba-Sasayama has 14 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government and three public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education.

Transportation

Railway

JR West –

Fukuchiyama Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to S ...

* - - - -

Highways

Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway The is a national Expressways of Japan, expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by West Nippon Expressway Company. It is signed as E27 under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "2016 Proposal for Realization of Exp ...

* * *

Sister city relations

* - Walla Walla, Washington, United States, since August 15, 1972 * -

Epidaurus Epidaurus ( gr, Ἐπίδαυρος) was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the ...

, Greece, since May 26, 1988

Local attractions

Yakami Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle located in what is now part of the city of Tamba-Sasayama Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 2005.The castle was one of the largest in Tanba Province, a ...

ruins, National Historic Site * Sasayama Castle ruins, National Historic Site * Sasayama Traditional Buildings Preservation Area * Fukuzumi Traditional Buildings Preservation Area *

Mount Mitake is a mountain in the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park near Tokyo, Japan. It stands tall. On the mountain is a Shinto shrine where practices such as Futomani divination take place. It is one of the many highlights of the Chichibu Tama Kai Nation ...

Mount Nishigatake is a {{convert, 727, m, ft, adj=mid, -high mountain in Sasayama, Hyōgo, Japan. Mount Nishi-ga-take is the second highest mountain in the Taki Mountains after Mount Mitake. Access * Kurikara Guchi Bus Stop of Shinki Bus Shinki Bus Co., L ...

Mount Yajuro is a {{Convert, 715.1, m, ft, 0, abbr=on mountain of Tanba Highland, located in Sasayama, Hyōgo, Sasayama, Hyōgo Prefecture, Hyōgo, Japan. This mountain is one of Hyōgo 50 mountains. This mountain is a part of Inagawa Natural Park. Outlin ...

Festivals

The Dekansho Festival, famous for "Bon" style dancing, is held annually, every August 15 through 16 since 1952.

Local products

Tamba ware Tamba ware, also spelled Tanba, and also known as Tamba-Tachikui ware (丹波立杭焼, Tamba-Tachikui-yaki) is a type of Japanese pottery produced in Sasayama and Tachikui in Hyōgo Prefecture. History It is considered one of the Six Ancient ...

, or ''tamba-tachikui-yaki'', is a traditional style of pottery that has been produced here since the 12th century.

References

External links

Sasayama City official website

*Tamba-Sasayama City tourist information website(in Englis

{{Authority control Cities in Hyōgo Prefecture Tamba-Sasayama