A Hidden Pottery Town in the Mountains: Discovering Tamba Sasayama, Japan

About an hour and a half from Kobe, the scenery slowly begins to change. The city fades away, the mountains grow closer, and quiet countryside roads lead you deeper into the hills. That’s where you find Tamba Sasayama, Hyogo.

To be honest, my first thought was, “Wow, this is really in the mountains.” But that peaceful setting turned out to be full of unexpected treasures.

Tamba Sasayama is home to one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, known as Tamba ware. The clay in this region contains a lot of iron, which gives the pottery warm, earthy tones when fired. The glazes are often soft and natural rather than glossy or flashy. Many pieces have a slightly matte finish that feels calm and grounded.

These are the kinds of bowls and plates that quietly become part of your everyday life.

I first stopped at a gallery featuring works from several local artists. I picked a few pieces that instantly caught my eye. Then something funny happened. As we continued driving through the countryside, pottery kilns started appearing everywhere.

And suddenly I realized: the artist whose work I had just bought had a kiln right there.

We stopped in, and not only was the artist there, but also his wife as well. Hearing the stories behind the pieces, directly from the people who made them, felt like stumbling onto a secret.

Tamba Sasayama is not only about pottery. The food here is also excellent. Being relatively close to Kyoto may have influenced the level of refinement in the local cuisine.

One dish you absolutely have to try here is wild boar hot pot, known as botan nabe.

Wild boar meat has rich and sweet(!) fat similar to pork, but as you simmer more it gets more tender unlike pork. It’s usually served in a miso-based broth that slowly simmers with vegetables and slices of the meat.

On a cold mountain day, that miso hotpot warms you from the inside out. It’s one of those meals you remember long after the trip.

The restaurant we visited is actually very popular among Japanese travelers.

Yet internationally, this place is still largely unknown. For Japanese people, it’s something of a hidden gem.

Tamba is also famous for its black soybeans, known as kuromame. You’ll find them in traditional sweets and desserts all over the town, and the quality of the small local shops is surprisingly high.

Pottery, great food, mountain scenery, and small shops run by passionate people.

Tamba Sasayama quietly leaves a strong impression.

It’s definitely a place I want to return to.