A novel strain of Gram-staining-positive actinobacterium, designated strain JR-39T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of bamboo (Sasa borealis) sampled in Damyang, Korea, and its taxonomic position was investigated by a polyphasic approach. The isolate formed flexuous chains of spores that were cylindrical and smooth-surfaced. Strain JR-39T grew at 4&#821137&#8201°C (optimum 28&#8201°C). The pH range for growth was pH&#82015&#821110 (optimum pH&#82016&#82118) and the NaCl range for growth was 0&#82115&#8201% (w/v) with optimum growth at 1&#8201% NaCl. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained ll-diaminopimelic acid, glutamic acid, alanine and glycine. Whole-cell hydrolysates mainly contained glucose, mannose, ribose and rhamnose. Predominant menaquinones were MK-9 (H6), MK-9 (H8) and MK-9 (H4). The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15&#8201:&#82010, iso-C16&#8201:&#82010, iso-C15&#8201:&#82010 and iso-C14&#8201:&#82010. The G+C content of the DNA was 72.3&#8201&#177&#82010.34&#8202mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain JR-39T belonged to the genus Streptomyces, showing the highest sequence similarity to Streptomyces panaciradicis 1MR-8T (99.4&#8201%), Streptomyces capoamus JCM 4734T (98.8&#8201%), Streptomyces galbus DSM 40089T (98.7&#8201%), Streptomyces longwoodensis LMG 20096T (98.7&#8201%), Streptomyces bungoensis NBRC 15711T (98.7&#8201%) and Streptomyces rhizophilus JR-41T (98.7&#8201%). However, DNA&#8211DNA hybridization assays, as well as physiological and biochemical analyses, showed that strain JR-39T could be differentiated from its closest phylogenetic relatives. On the basis of the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain JR-39T represents a novel species for which the name Streptomyces sasae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JR-39T (&#8201=&#8201KACC 17182T&#8201=&#8201NBRC 109809T).