Yatsushiro City is a relatively new city, formed by the merger of six towns and villages in 2005. With the Kyushu Mountains to the east and the Yatsushiro Sea to the west, it is one of the prefecture's largest cities in terms of area. Yatsushiro City is a thriving agricultural region, cultivating igusa (rush grass) and tomatoes. It also serves as a transportation hub, with Yatsushiro Port, the prefecture's largest international port, the Kyushu Expressway, and the Kyushu Shinkansen. While it is Japan's leading producer of igusa and banpeiyu (Japanese citrus fruit), it has also developed into an industrial city since the Meiji period, functioning as a garden industrial city. Other famous tourist spots include traditional crafts like Takada ware and bamboo crafts, and the city is also home to blacksmiths of Higo tsuba (swords) and swords. Famous tourist spots include Yatsushiro Shrine and Yatsushiro Shrine.