The Tamba area, full of lush nature, including Tamba chestnuts and Tamba kuromame (black soybeans)! Introducing everything from paragliding to fall leaves and historic destinations such as Sasayama!
The Tamba area is famous as a treasure trove of high-class ingredients such as Tamba chestnuts and Tamba kuromame (black soybeans). In fact, in addition to its gourmet dishes, you can enjoy strolling through history, admiring cherry blossoms and fall leaves, and experiencing ceramics and outdoor destinations—it’s a place filled with a variety of attractions. From popular tourist destinations to recommended experiences, this article introduces some carefully chosen highlights of Tamba!
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What kind of place is the Tamba area?
The Tamba area consists of Tamba City and Tamba-Sasayama City. It boasts a natural world with seasonal riches, and fascinates with historic and traditional streetscapes that developed together with neighboring Kyoto. Visitors continue to be charmed by its castle towns such as Sasayama and Kaibara, temple towns, and post station towns, as well as Tachikui, home of Tambayaki, one of Japan’s six ancient kilns. Its brand ingredients are also popular, especially Tamba chestnuts and Tamba kuromame (black soybeans).
History and origins of the Tamba area
Located close to the old capital of Kyoto, the Tamba area has a long history as a strategic location on the way to the San'in and Sanyo areas. It is closely connected with the military leaders of the warring states period (from the mid-15th century to the early 17th century): here, you’ll find Sasayama, where famous military leader and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu built a castle; Kaibara, which was governed by the family and descendants of Oda Nobunaga (a military leader who was one of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s predecessors) after his death; and Kasuga, the birthplace of Lady Kasuga, wet nurse of the third shogun Iemitsu and an influential political figure. Even today, you can immerse yourself in its history in places such as Sasayama castle town, the Kaibara Han Jinya (old administrative building) ruins, Kuroi Castle, and Kozen-ji Temple.
Attractions in the Tamba area: Specialty products from a rich natural world
The Tamba area is a place of abundant harvests, with a special climate and soil. Its topography, which varies in elevation, moderate moisture resulting from plentiful rain and snow, and “Tamba fog” caused by temperature differences enables the cultivation of high quality crops such as Tamba black soybeans, Tamba Dainagon adzuki beans, and Tamba chestnuts.
- 1. Tamba chestnuts
- Tamba chestnuts, large in size with a beautiful luster and refined sweetness, are a type of Japanese chestnut that, according to the records, have been presented to the imperial court since the Heian period (794–1185). They're used in a variety of dishes, including roast chestnuts, chestnut rice, and candied chestnuts with inner skin, and large numbers of tourists visit Tamba-Sasayama during the chestnut season.
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- 2. Tamba kuromame (black soybeans)
- “Tambaguro,” one of Tamba-Sasayama City’s specialty products, are a kind of large black soybean (kuromame) popular for their depth of flavor. They are well-known as a kuromame essential for the New Year, and the “black edamame” harvested before they fully ripen are also exceptional.
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- 3. Tamba Dainagon adzuki beans
- These flavorful, high-grade adzuki beans are large and sweet, and have been cultivated in the Tamba area since ancient times. They are characterized by their vivid, deep red color and straw-bale-like shape, and are valued by high-class Japanese confection shops across Japan.
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- 4. Japanese yams
- The yams grown from many years of selective breeding in the unique climate of the Tamba-Sasayama region are characterized by their fine texture, depth of flavor, and their impressive stickiness. They can be used to make a superb tororo gohan, one of the area’s signature dishes of grated yam on rice.
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- 5. Botan nabe
- Botan nabe, said to have originated in Tamba-Sasayama City, is an original wild game cuisine. Wild boar meat is arranged like peony (“botan”) petals on a plate and served, then cooked in the accompanying miso-based broth.
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- 6. Tamba tea
- There are considerable temperature differences between the day and night in Tamba-Sasayama City, creating a special climate and soil that gives rise to the “Tamba fog.” Thanks to this, the tea leaves that grow here are tender, and charm with their aromatic and elegant flavor.
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Popular sightseeing destinations in the Tamba area
The Tamba area boasts a natural world with beauty throughout the four seasons and an abundance of sightseeing spots steeped in history. In places like Kogenji Temple and Sasayama Castle, famous for their cherry blossoms in the spring and bright leaves in the fall, you’ll find an expanse of picture-perfect seasonal scenery, inviting visitors into an extraordinary world.
- Kogenji Temple
- This temple was established by the monk Enkei, who trained in Hangzhou in China in the 14th century, and was named by Emperor Go-Daigo. In the spring you’ll find double-layered cherry blossoms here, and its several hundred vividly colored Tenmoku maple trees have made it famous as one of Tamba’s three best mountains for fall leaves. If you make a reservation, you can also enjoy shojin ryori, traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, here.
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- Genkimura Kamikuge/ Tambaryu-no-Sato Park
- In the distant past, 110 million years ago, giant dinosaurs called Tambatitanis (Tambaryu in Japanese) lived in Tamba City. The …
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- Byakugoji Temple
- Standing quietly among the mountains of Tamba-Sasayama, Byakugoji Temple is a temple of the Tendai school with around 1,300 year…
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- 篠山城
- 篠山城建於西元1609年，是德川家康於關原之戰後下令興建的城堡，僅花了半年即完工。城內沒有天守閣，並在二之丸中設有藩主御殿等建築。現今重建的大書院開放參觀，遊客可一窺內部格局。
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Recommended experiences in the Tamba area
You can discover a variety of charms in the Tamba area, which have developed from its traditions and natural world. These include the Dekansho Matsuri festival, a quintessential part of summer; ceramics experiences; and dancing through the sky as a paraglider in its vast natural world. Why not make some special memories unique to this area?
- 1. Dekansho Bushi
- Dekansho Bushi is a folk song that has been passed down in the Tamba-Sasayama area. The Dekansho Matsuri festival held each summer is always packed with tourists.
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- 2. Tambayaki pottery
- Tambayaki’s history can be traced back around 800 years. You’ll find 50 or so potteries and ceramics displays in Tachikui Sue no Sato Tamba Traditional Craft Park in Tachikui in Tamba-Sasayama City, where you can also enjoy ceramics experiences.
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- 3. Paragliding
- The area around Mount Iwayayama in Tamba City is very popular among paragliders. If you contact a paragliding school, even a beginner can experience flying through the sky like a bird.
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- 4. Tea-harvesting experience
- Tamba-Sasayama City has been a production area for tea since the Heian period (794–1185). Enjoy an experience as a chamusume (a traditional tea-picker), tour a tea plantation, try a tea tasting, and more among the unchanged landscape of Tamba-Sasayama.
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Summary
What do you think? Have even more fun on your trip through Tamba, a treasure-trove of history, nature, and gourmet!
