Tours to experience countryside Japan and meet the locals
About one hour by train from Osaka or Kyoto is Tambasasayama, a quiet, unassuming city in the countryside that has remained under the radar for both domestic and international tourists. Those looking for an off the beaten track sightseeing destination should consider going to Tambasasayama to experience life at a slower pace.
To provide the best experience for a visit to the countryside, the city offers paid tours aimed at introducing visitors to Tambasasayama's locals, history, culture and cuisine. The tours cover culture, history and hands-on activities, all the useful and important aspects of getting to know a place better. All tours will be accompanied by a guide, who also doubles as an interpreter. There are some hotels in Tambasasayama, but the best way to fully embrace and support the locals is to stay at a Nipponia lodging or at one of the small boutique hotels in the city center. The full list of tours and their prices can be seen in detail on the official website.
About Tambasasayama
As a former castle town, Sasayama offers visitors a number of cultural sights within the city center: the Sasayama Castle Ruins and its reconstructed castle palace, a couple of historical museums housed in centuries-old former residences and preserved streets where the merchants and samurai used to live and work.
An interesting, but lesser known fact is Sasayama's connection to the famous Aoyama shopping neighborhood in Tokyo. The name of the neighborhood comes from the Aoyama family, feudal lords of Tambasasayama and retainers of the shogun, whose Edo (Tokyo) residence stood in the area. It is ironic that centuries later, the name of Sasayama's feudal lord would be synonymous with a shopping district in Tokyo instead of with their hometown.
Another lesser known fact is the humble beginnings of Nipponia, a hotel company known for transforming and repurposing historical buildings into heritage accommodation. The company's first hotel opened in Tambasasayama in 2015, and they have since expanded to operating properties across Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Working closely with the local community, the company's philosophy is to maintain and preserve the local surroundings, while introducing a new way for visitors to enjoy the area - an experience that is apart from everyday life. There are no television sets at a Nipponia lodging, and visitors can embrace the quiet country life. Nipponia's early efforts have in turn paved the way for the small boutique hotels run by locals in Sasayama as well as across the country.
Premium overnight tour - Memorable Tambasasayama experiences
The highlight of this premium overnight tour is the opportunity for a private tour of the reconstructed castle palace after hours. Not only that, visitors will be treated to a traditional theater art known as Kyogen, in which performers give a short play and comedic routine. After the performance, visitors will have the chance to dress up in the traditional performance attire and tour the castle palace.
The luxury to have a private tour and performance in a castle palace is an experience that can only be provided in small towns like Sasayama. The experience is conducted by locals, allowing for both cultural and local exchanges. More details about this tour are available on the official website.
Day tours exploring local culture, heritage and tradition
On offer are two day tours: A journey of Immersion in the Japanese Culture of a Castle Town at Tambasasayama and Culinary Journey at Footpath and Gastronomy Lunch. Private car transport to and from Kyoto is also available as an add-on, making the access to Tambasasayama seamless and convenient.
Thanks to the guide and interpreter, the language barrier should be sufficiently reduced, and thus creating plenty of opportunity to interact with many locals and experience more of the Sasayama culture and tradition. Tambasasayama is well-known domestically for its quality produce such as chestnuts, black edamame, black beans and yamanoimo, a type of mountain yam, so visitors can be sure to eat well. Lunch is also included in the two day tours either at Maekawa, a traditional kaiseki style restaurant or at Yamayu, a restaurant serving local course meals.
The goal of the "A journey of Immersion in the Japanese Culture of a Castle Town at Tambasasayama" tour is to learn more about the castle town culture. As such, the activities include cycling, making a Japanese scent, walking through the merchant district and visiting the castle palace.
For the "Culinary Journey at Footpath and Gastronomy Lunch" tour, participants will be able to enjoy venturing out into a village in the countryside by bicycle. A major highlight is going on a walking tour of the village learning more about the unique mud warehouses that can be seen in the Tambasasayama countryside.
Additional hands-on activities
Visitors can additionally select from the a la carte list of hands-on activities to create an original tour. In addition to the activities listed above, the other short tours include attending Japanese scent masterclass run by a master of incense ceremony, participating in Ojiyama ceramics activity, wearing replica samurai armor, making tea in a former samurai residence, making Tambayaki pottery and farming with a local farmer.
Access
Sasayamaguchi is the main train station serving central Tambasasayama. The limited express Konotori from Osaka provides direct access to Tambasasayama in about one hour, while direct local trains take about 20 minutes longer. From Sasayamaguchi, take a local bus bound for Sasayama Eigyosho (篠山営業所) and get off at Nikaimachi (二階町), the bus stop closest to the tourist information center from where the day tours start.
Book your tours directly from these links
- Discover Tambasasayama - Official page on the Veltra website.
- Premium overnight tour - Tour reservation page on the Veltra website.
- Footpath and culinary journey - Tour reservation page on the Veltra website.
- Castle culture in Tambasasayama - Tour reservation page on the Veltra website.