Yosano, these days, is easily accessible from the rest of Kyoto prefecture, thanks in part to the expressway linking the town to Fukuchiyama and Kyoto City. (Kyoto can be reached in as little as 1 hour 30 minutes.) But in the past, before modern infrastructure, the town was much more isolated. In winter, Yosano (and the Tango region) would often be cut off from the rest of the Kyoto prefecture during periods of heavy snowfall, and road travel was treacherous. Even now, the routes leading to and from the town involve travelling over, or through, the mountains surrounding the valley basin, with dangers such as snow, ice, fog and deer to contend with on some of the narrower roads. But, road hazards aside, Yosano is very much a slice of natural beauty nestled between the sea and the mountains. Upon returning from the city, there is no greater pleasure than driving out of the highway tunnel, rolling down the car windows and breathing in the sweet mountain air.