Mie · Capital · City

Tsu

津市つしTsu-shi

Mie's quiet capital on Ise Bay

Tsu is the capital of Mie Prefecture, a former castle town and port on the western shore of Ise Bay whose name – a single character meaning "harbour" – is the shortest place name in Japan.

Overview

Tsu stretches from the shore of Ise Bay to the Nunobiki and Suzuka mountains, a large municipality created in 2006 when the old city merged with nine surrounding towns and villages. Its centre is a modest administrative and university town, seat of the prefectural government and of Mie University.

In the Middle Ages the harbour of Anotsu was one of Japan's three great ports until an earthquake and tsunami in 1498 destroyed it. The town revived under the Tōdō lords as a castle town and a stop for pilgrims on the Ise-kaidō; a local saying ran "Ise thrives on Tsu, and Tsu thrives on Ise", because every pilgrim passed through. The most important religious site is Senju-ji in Isshinden, head temple of the Takada branch of Jōdo Shinshū, whose two great halls are National Treasures.

Landmarks

Senju-ji
専修寺Senju-ji
Head temple of the Shinshū Takada school in Isshinden; its Miei-dō and Nyorai-dō halls are National Treasures, surrounded by a moated temple town.
Tsu Castle ruins
津城跡Tsu-jō ato
Stone walls and moat of Tōdō Takatora's castle, now Oshiro Park, with a reconstructed corner turret.
Tsu Kannon
津観音Tsu Kannon
Temple of the goddess of mercy at the heart of the old town, counted with Asakusa and Ōsu among Japan's three great Kannon.
Mie Prefectural Art Museum
三重県立美術館Mie Kenritsu Bijutsukan
Collection of Japanese and Western painting, including works linked to Mie artists.
Mie Prefectural Museum (MieMu)
三重県総合博物館Mie-ken Sōgō Hakubutsukan
Natural and cultural history of the prefecture.
Ishiyama Kannon
石山観音Ishiyama Kannon
Medieval and early-modern Buddhist images carved into sandstone outcrops in the hills of Geinō.

Districts

Isshinden
一身田Isshinden
Moated temple town around Senju-ji with traditional townhouses.
Ōmon
大門Daimon
Old shopping district around Tsu Kannon, the historic commercial core.
Sakakibara
榊原Sakakibara
Hot-spring village in the hills west of the city.
Misugi
美杉Misugi
Forested upland of the Misugi area, with the ruins of the Kitabatake clan's residence and Kitabatake Shrine.

History

Anotsu flourished as a port for trade with the Kantō and the Ise shrines until the Meiō earthquake of 1498. In 1608 Tōdō Takatora took over the domain, rebuilt Tsu Castle and laid out the town, which the Tōdō family ruled until the Meiji Restoration. Tsu became the prefectural seat in the 1870s and was heavily bombed in 1945.

15th century
Anotsu is counted among Japan's three great ports (sanshin).
1498
The Meiō earthquake and tsunami destroy the port of Anotsu.
1608
Tōdō Takatora becomes lord of Tsu and remodels the castle and town.
1873
The prefectural office returns from Yokkaichi to Tsu, which remains the seat of Mie Prefecture.
1889
Tsu is incorporated as a city.
2006
Merger with nine towns and villages creates the present city.

Culture

Tsu is a university and administrative town rather than a tourist city, but its Edo-period festivals survive in the Tsu Matsuri, when the Tōjin-odori – a dance imitating the Korean embassies that travelled through Japan in the Edo period – and the Shishi-odori are performed. Senju-ji draws followers of the Takada school from across Japan.

Festivals

Tsu Matsuri
津まつりTsu Matsuri
October festival of Tsu Hachimangū with the Tōjin-odori, Wakebe lion dance and parades through the centre.
Takada Honzan Hōonkō
高田本山報恩講Takada Honzan Hōonkō
Memorial services for Shinran at Senju-ji in January, when stalls line the temple town.

Food

Tsu gyōza
津ぎょうざTsu gyōza
Oversized deep-fried dumplings wrapped in a large skin, first served in school lunches.
Unagi
うなぎunagi
Grilled eel; Tsu has long had a high density of eel restaurants.
Tenmusu
天むすtenmusu
Rice ball with a tempura prawn, said to have originated in Tsu before becoming a Nagoya staple.
Heiji senbei
平治煎餅Heiji senbei
Crisp wafer biscuits in the shape of a warrior's fan, a traditional Tsu souvenir.

Getting around

Tsu Station is served by Kintetsu (Nagoya Line) and JR (Kisei Main Line), about one hour from Nagoya.
Kintetsu limited expresses connect Tsu with Osaka-Namba in roughly one and a half hours.
A high-speed ferry links Tsu Nagisamachi with Chūbu Centrair International Airport across Ise Bay.
Local buses link the centre with Sakakibara Onsen and the western districts.

Day trips

Ise
The Grand Shrines of Ise, about 40 minutes south by train.
Matsusaka
Castle ruins, Motoori Norinaga's house and Matsusaka beef, one stop south on the line to Ise.
Seki-juku
Well-preserved Tōkaidō post town in Kameyama, on the JR line towards Kameyama.
Ise-Shima National Park
Toba, Ago Bay and Kashikojima beyond Ise.

Other cities in the prefecture

CityIseIse-shiThe pilgrims' city of the sun goddess

Frequently asked questions

Is Tsu really the shortest place name in Japan?

Tsu (津) is written with one character and pronounced with a single syllable, which makes it the shortest city name in Japan. The character means "harbour" or "ferry landing".

What is there to see in Tsu?

The main sights are Senju-ji temple in Isshinden with its two National Treasure halls, the castle ruins in Oshiro Park, Tsu Kannon and the prefectural museums.

Is Tsu a good base for visiting Ise?

It works, with trains to Ise in about 40 minutes, but most visitors stay in Ise itself, Toba or Nagoya.

How do I get from Chūbu Centrair Airport to Tsu?

A high-speed ferry crosses Ise Bay directly to Tsu; alternatively, take trains via Nagoya.

Sources

1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
2.津市公式ウェブサイト (opens in a new tab) — 津市
3.三重県ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 三重県