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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Tsuru
都留市
Skip Tsuru unless you want to see the Maglev test track at 500 km/h; otherwise it's a quiet commuter town with little else for a traveller.
Tsuru is a small city in the foothills of Mount Fuji, known mainly for the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center where the Linear Chuo Shinkansen test train passes at 504 km/h. Beyond that, the city has limited attractions for tourists and is best visited as a short stop between Otsuki and Fujiyoshida.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 都留市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 0 nights
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 ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–15,000 excl. bed · High ¥15,000+ 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 at a café | ¥300–500 |
| Bowl of ramen | ¥700–1,000 |
| Beer (can at convenience store) | ¥250–350 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥2,000–2,500 |
| Fuji Kyuko line Tsuru–Otsuki | ¥300–400 (check) |
| Maglev Center entry | ¥500 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita International Airport
- About 2.5 h by train via Tokyo and Otsuki
- HND · Tokyo Haneda Airport
- About 2 h by train via Shinjuku and Otsuki
Typical fares
- Tsuru Station → Maglev Center (taxi)
- about ¥1,000–1,500
- Fuji Kyuko line Tsuru → Fujiyoshida
- about ¥600 (check)
- JR Otsuki → Kofu
- about ¥800 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The city is walkable near the station, but the Maglev Center is a 20-min walk or short taxi ride. Buses are infrequent.
See and do
Known for
- Maglev Exhibition Center
- Katsura River
- Fuji Kyuko line
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fujiyoshida | Fuji Kyuko line from Tsuru, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Otsuki | Fuji Kyuko line, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Kofu | JR Chuo Line from Otsuki, about 40 min | About 1.5 h |
| Koshu | JR Chuo Line from Otsuki, about 30 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Near Tsuru Station
- A few business hotels; convenient for the train line.
- Fujiyoshida or Otsuki
- More accommodation options, 15–30 min by train.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうarigatō |
| How much? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the Maglev Center? | リニア見学センターはどこですか？rinia kengaku sentā wa doko 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
- Maglev test runs are not on a fixed schedule; check the center's website for viewing times.
- The tourist association site was closed for renewal as of May 2024; check the city government's Japanese-only page for updates.
- Limited dining options in the evening; eat before 20:00 or bring snacks.
Tsuru is a safe, quiet city. The main risk is the cold in winter and limited evening services.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tsuru yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Maglev Exhibition Center
- Katsura River
- Fuji Kyuko line
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tsuru city official website: www.city.tsuru.yamanashi.jp/
- Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center: www.linear-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/english/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Tsuru, revision 4904659 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4904659
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tsuru都留市
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
The US has a consulate in Nagoya; most other countries have consulates-general in Osaka or embassies in Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tsuru). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.