Tanzō

Tanzō [閌坎 たんぞう] is a city located in central Saka Prefecture. As of 2022, it had a population of roughly 16,000. 
Tanzō began as a stronghold of the Yamako clan against sieges brought upon the neighbouring settlement of Wakatsu from Kamado forces. It was a military town, mostly inhabited by soldiers, until the early 1400s when it was transformed into a koman due to its location on the Salt Road. From this period onwards, Tanzō became a centre of trade and the transportation of goods, and began to particularly flourish in the early 17th century as it grew into a merchant town.
During the 2011 Kanjō Bay disaster, Tanzō's southern ward sustained particularly severe damages with over 20,000 buildings destroyed, but no lives were lost.
== Geography ==
Tanzō is situated to the west side of Mount Nakano, adjacent to the prefectural capital Wakatsu. It is bordered by two rivers: the Yamanate to the north and the Yamahoku to the south. Lake Hyōri is located about 12 miles from the city centre in the neighbouring city of Umezake.
== Economy ==
Tanzō was a largely agricultural area until large scale housing development began after the 1960s, and by the 1980s, with the opening of the Wakatsu Expressway and several industrial parks, the area increasingly became a commuter town for the capital. 
== Local attractions ==
* Sakurako Dam
* Yamana Temple
* Tanzō City Museum
* Tanzō City Kanjō Bay Memorial
* Sakurako Park