Sanda City is adjacent to Sasayama City to the north, Takarazuka City and Inagawa Town to the east, Kobe City to the south, and Kato City and Miki City to the west.
Due to its rich natural environment and mild climate, the history of human settlement in this area stretches back to the Old Stone Age, tens of thousands of years ago.
A temple which was later to become Konshinji Temple is said to have been built around the area of present-day Yashikimachi in the Nara Period. As a result, a town grew up around the temple.
The name “Sanda Castle” appears in records written in the Southern and Northern Court (Nambokucho) Period, which means that the name “Sanda” and the castle already existed by this time.
During the Warring States Period (Sengoku Period) and thereafter, Sanda developed as a political and economic town, with the castle playing an important role as a hub, a center of trade and a distribution point for rice and wood provided by the affluent surrounding farm villages. In the Edo Period, the area was ruled by the Kuki of the Sanda Clan and the Aoki of the Asada Clan. The town flourished as a hub town ruled by the Sanda Clan, which produced 36,000 koku (equivalent to 54,000 tons) of rice crop during the Edo Period. Later in the Meiji Period, an administrative institution of the Arima County was established and the railroad arrived, resulting in further prosperity for the region.
In 1956, Ai Village and Honjo Village merged into Aino Town, and Sanda Town, Miwa Town, Hirono Village, Ono Village, and Takahira Village merged into Sanda Town. Later in 1957, Aino Town was incorporated into Sanda Town. In 1958 Sanda was given the status of a city and retains this status to date.
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The katakana character of “sa” from “Sanda” was incorporated into the city emblem. It represents the attitude of the citizen to work toward urban development through harmony and unity. (established in 1958)
Because azalea represents affection and simplicity, the flower was deemed the most appropriate to stand for the city of Sanda which aims to develop a pleasant and comfortable town. (established in 1968)
Japanese red pine was chosen as the city tree as it is well suited to the local climate and most of the city mountains are covered with this tree. A fragrant edible Japanese mushroom called “matsutake”, which Japanese people consider the king of mushrooms, is a local specialty of Sanda, and is produced in these red pine forests. (established in 1968)
The pheasant (kiji) was chosen as the mascot of the city because the bird is frequently observed in the fields and mountains of Sanda. The bird has grace and dignity in nature, which we consider suitable for the characteristics of our rural cultural city. (established in 1985)
