Tambasasayama Yama-no-imo, or Tambasasayama Yam, is a local specialty of the city. From mid-November when the peak season of this yam comes, Tambasasayama Yam Fair is held so that many people will know the charm of this yam.

Please take this opportunity to purchase yams at Tambasasayama.

[Period]
From November 22th (Sat), 2025 to February 1st (Sun), 2026

Leaflet download (PDF)

What is Tambasasayama Yam?

There are many kinds of yams in the yam family such as Chinese yam and Japanese yam, and “Yama-no-imo” in Tambasasayama is a kind of  Tsukuneimo or Yamatoimo. It is round with black, rugged outer skin, and inside is fine texture and pure white color.
It is the stickiest of all potatoes, becomes fluffy when cooked,  and has a thick texture.

A traditional vegetable that has been cultivated and eaten since the Edo period(1601-1867).
The Tambasasayama Yams are planted in early April. They need a lot of care and are very precious, because the farmers can harvest only one from one seed potato.

From autumn to winter, you can see Tambasasayama in a thick fog called the Tamba Fog.
Around that time the large yam is harvested, so it is sometimes called Kiriimo or the Fog Yam.
The harvest starts around the end of October in Tambasasayama, and the high season is until the beginning of December.

There are many ways to enjoy the yam, such as to cut it into strips and eat them raw with ponzu sauce, or to use it as an ingredient of a botan nabe (wild boar soup), or to grate it (make it tororo) and put it on the rice or drop it in the soup to make dumplings, or to put it in okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza-like dish). The deep fry yam with seaweed wrap called Isobe Age is also recommended!

The yam is also useful as an ingredient for high-class Japanese sweets. It is indispensable for giving a fine and fluffy texture to the Joyo manju, which is a steamed yeast bun with filling.

Not only delicious but full of nutrition!

Being rich in dietary fiber, eating the yam helps to prevent lifestyle diseases and improve intestinal condition.
It also protects the inner wall of the stomach and improves the digestive function.
Also, it is said that eating yam is like taking a supplement, which contains a lot of vitamins, amino acids, and potassium that removes the swelling.

Tambasasayama Tororo Rice Set Present Campaign

During the yam fair period, we will distribute a questionnaire to those who have eaten and purchased yam at the stores participating in the fair.
From those who answered the questionnaire, 20 people will be chosen by lottery. The winners are to receive the “Tambasasayama Tororo Rice Set”. The set consists of ‘Megumi Rice from Agricultural Capital’ which is the environmentally friendly Tambasasayama rice with reduced pesticides, and the Tambasasayama Yam. (Scheduled to be shipped in late February , 2026)

* We are running a campaign where you can double the number of lottery tickets by posting “#Tambasasayama Yam Fair” on X and Instagram.

Please take this opportunity to purchase the Tambasasayama yam.

List of participating stores

Soba and udon

Single dish

Hot pot

Rice Bowl

Souvenir

Shops for purchasing Yam

Event  information