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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Tsu
津
Give Tsu one night as a Mie base, or skip it: the castle ruins, Kannon and eel are a half day, and Ise and Matsusaka are the real draws.
Tsu is the capital of Mie prefecture and one of Japan's shortest place names, about 290,000 people on Ise Bay. It sits on the Kintetsu Nagoya line between Yokkaichi and Ise, so it works as a quiet, cheaper bed for the Ise and Matsusaka sights rather than as a destination in itself. Sights are spread out and the station area is the only practical base.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 津
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–17,000 excl. bed · High ¥17,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Ramen or noodle soup | ¥800–1,300 |
| Unagi (eel) set meal | ¥2,500–5,000 |
| Tsu Gyoza (one large dumpling) | ¥300–600 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| City bus ride | ¥200–400 |
| Museum entry (MieMu, Sekisui, Louvre sculpture museum) | ¥500–1,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NGO · Chubu Centrair
- Tsu Airport Line ferry to Tsu port, 40–50 min, then a bus to Tsu station
Typical fares
- Kintetsu Nagoya → Tsu
- about ¥980 basic, about 1 h
- Tsu Airport Line ferry, Tsu → Centrair
- about ¥3,000, 40–50 min
- Bus from Tsu port to Tsu station
- about ¥200
- Taxi across the centre
- ¥1,200–2,000
Get around
Tsu is split north–south by Route 23. Kintetsu and JR both stop at Tsu station; Edobashi and Tsu-Shinmachi are Kintetsu only and cost the same from Nagoya. City buses leave from outside the station, but stops are signed in Japanese only and you board at one stop and alight at another. Pay the exact fare in the box by the driver on exit; a machine changes ¥1,000 notes. Taxis queue at the station.
See and do
Known for
- Tsu Castle ruins and moat
- Tsu Kannon temple
- Unagi (eel) restaurants
- Tsu Gyoza, a 15 cm dumpling
- Sakakibara Onsen
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ise | Kintetsu from Tsu to Ise-shi, then bus to the shrines | About 1 h |
| Matsusaka | JR or Kintetsu south, about 20–30 min | About 40 min |
| Yokkaichi | Kintetsu north toward Nagoya, about 25 min | About 40 min |
| Kuwana | Kintetsu or JR north toward Nagoya, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Iga | JR to Iga-Ueno, change at Kameyama | 1.5–2 h |
| Nagoya | Kintetsu limited express, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Tsu Station area
- Business hotels, the UST Tsu tower, city and prefecture tourist offices, buses and both rail lines. The only base that works without a car.
- Edobashi
- One stop north on Kintetsu, by Mie University; quieter, fewer beds.
- Tsu-Shinmachi
- One stop south on Kintetsu; same fare from Nagoya, a few local restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus stops are signposted in Japanese only; ask at the tourist office by the station for your route.
- Sights are spread out: the Louvre sculpture museum and Daikanon-ji are well outside the centre, near Sakakibara Onsen.
- Summer is hot and humid; plan indoor stops at midday.
- Small eel and gyoza places may be cash only: carry yen.
Tsu is a low-crime provincial capital; the real risks are summer heat, spread-out sights and buses signed only in Japanese. Japan overall is one of the safer countries for travellers.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tsu yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tsu Castle ruins and moat
- Tsu Kannon temple
- Unagi (eel) restaurants
- Tsu Gyoza, a 15 cm dumpling
- Sakakibara Onsen
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tsu City official tourism site (Tsu Kanko): tsukanko.jp/
- Tsu City official site: www.info.city.tsu.mie.jp/
- Mie Prefecture official tourism site: www.kankomie.or.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Tsu, revision 5237286 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237286
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tsu津
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Tsu; most are in Tokyo, with consulates-general in Osaka and Nagoya.
Tipping is not expected in Japan and can be refused.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tsu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.