Experience the Delights of Tsu Faster with the Tsu Airport Line

Step off the beaten path and explore Tsu, the capital city of Mie Prefecture. With castle ruins, ancient temples and shrines, and mouth-watering delicacies, it’s the perfect way to spend a half day.

Written by Adam Douglas

Table of Contents

・Getting to Tsu

・Tsu Gyoza and Hachimitsu Manju: Culinary Delights of Tsu

・Tourist Spots: Tsu Castle Ruins and Tsukannon Temple

・Yuki Shrine

・Senjuji Temple

・Wrap-up

Getting to Tsu

I love Mie Prefecture. I’ve visited many times but had never taken the opportunity to explore Tsu, the prefectural capital and a true hidden gem.

I started my visit not in Tsu proper but at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya. When heading to Mie Prefecture, home to the beautiful Ise Shima area and ninja, you can of course go by bus or train, but there’s another way that’s even more convenient: Tsu Airport Line. Yes, you can get to Tsu by high-speed boat!

The connection to the boat landing is just past the tourist information

The walkway to the boat landing connects directly to the terminals

The Tsu Airport Line boarding area is connected to all passenger terminals at the airport, so it was incredibly easy to find.

It takes just 45 minutes to Tsu by the Tsu Airport Line

The trip was fantastic. I couldn’t believe it, but it only took 45 minutes to Nagisa-machi in Tsu, and it cost just 2980 yen. That’s even faster and cheaper than the train! The water was calm, so I hardly felt the waves. I was surprised to learn that the boat has an extremely low cancel rate, running as scheduled 97.8% of the time, meaning it’s easy to make plans. From the boat landing in Nagisa-machi, it’s just a short 10 to 15-minute bus or taxi ride to Tsu Station.

Tsu Gyoza and Hachimitsu Manju: Culinary Delights of Tsu

Tsu is the capital of Mie Prefecture and it makes a convenient jumping-off point to see Mie’s many tourist areas. While Tsu is not so famous as a tourist spot (yet!), there are a number of really fun places right around the station that I was excited to see.

Before starting out, I was feeling hungry, so I decided to get some lunch. Tsu is known for its specialties like tenmusu (tempura shrimp rice balls), Tsu gyoza, hachimitsu manju, and more.

Tsu gyoza is crispy and delicious

I started with Tsu gyoza (Japanese pot stickers) a dish with an interesting history that traces back to the city's school lunch program. The education board invented Tsu gyoza as a meal to satisfy a single child with a single pot sticker. Unlike normal gyoza, Tsu gyoza are covered in an extra-large wrapper of more than 15 centimeters and then fried to a golden brown. The first place to sell them was Itaro. They’re only 330 yen each and go perfectly with ramen. As for the taste, they’re crunchy and savory and so good.

I couldn’t get enough of sweet hachimitsu manju

After the Tsu gyoza, I was ready for something sweet. I headed to Hachimitsu-man Honpo to try their hachimitsu manju, sweet bean-filled honey buns. They’ve been selling these delectable sweets to the locals for 45 years, who absolutely love them. It’s not hard to see why. They’re incredible—and so cheap! At first, I got one for just 70 yen but after trying it, I had to buy a box of 20 to take with me. They also sell them in packages of 10. You can also buy them from a shop at the east exit of Tsu Station, but I’m glad I went to the main store so I could see them being made through the window. And to eat them still warm. So good.

Tourist Spots: Tsu Castle Ruins and Tsukannon Temple

The highlights of Tsu’s many tourist spots are Tsu Castle Ruins and Tsukannon Temple.

Tsu Castle Ruins has impressive stone walls

Tsu Castle Ruins may not have an eye-catching main turret, but what it does have is a vast stone wall surrounding the former castle grounds. I couldn’t believe it, but I could walk around the top of the wall and view the moat below. I’ve been to many Japanese castles but never experienced anything like that before.

Looking down from the top of the stone wall

This red gate used to stand in front of a samurai-era school

Inside the walls, there’s a Japanese garden that was the perfect size for a stroll. I was also surprised to see a red gate. I learned that this was from the old Tsu clan school and was relocated here. Japan has so much history it’s mind-boggling.

Murata Kamiten has a lovely selection of traditional Japanese paper

Next, I took a walk in the area around the castle and discovered Murata Kamiten, a store dedicated to washi, traditional Japanese paper. I could really sense the history when I looked at the glass storefront, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that it was founded in the Edo period (1603-1868). It was fun to look at the many colorful products all lined up. And actually, they had more than just washi, with tons of rare paper items from all over the world.

Tsukannon Temple was founded in the 8th century

After that, I strolled on to Tsukannon Temple, a Buddhist temple founded in the eighth century and one of Japan’s top three Kannon temples. Kannon is a compassionate Buddha who listens to people’s prayers and takes away their suffering.

Fukubiki senbei makes for a unique souvenir

Tsukannon Temple is famous for its fukubiki senbei. February 3rd is Setsubun, a day to celebrate the first day of spring, welcome in good luck, and drive out bad luck. Tsukannon Temple developed fukubiki senbei as a souvenir item for Setsubun.

Fukubiki senbei is extra large like a giant fortune cookie. Could there be something inside? I opened mine up and found a good luck charm! It was for health and long life. What a neat idea for a souvenir. I made sure to buy some for my friends and family.

Yuki Shrine

The front of the beautiful Yuki Shrine

Yuki Shrine’s famous weeping willow plum blossoms are in full bloom from late February to early March

My last stop of the day was Yuki Shrine. It’s separated from Tsu Station by a few kilometers, but it’s easy enough to get there by bus or taxi. The famous weeping willow plum blossoms are in full bloom from late February to early March and are not to be missed. Being in Tsu during this time, I just had to go and see them for myself.

Senjuji Temple

Unfortunately, I was not able to visit the temple in just half a day, but if I had had more time, I would have liked to have visited it. The temple (referred to by locals as Takada Honzan) is the head of the Takada school of Shinshu Buddhism with over 600 temples in Japan. The temple grounds have 11 important cultural properties and various Buddhist treasures. Take the time to stop by if you have a full day on your visit.

Wrap-up

Just 45 minutes by boat from Chubu Centrair International Airport, Tsu is a must-visit city. My mouth was happy from eating Tsu gyoza and hachimitsu manju, my eyes were happy from seeing Tsu Castle Ruins, Tsukannon, and Yuki Shrine, and my feet were happy at how centralized everything was. For a half-day trip, my visit to Tsu was filled with memorable experiences, and if I had a full day, I would have added Senjuji, Head Temple of the Shinshu Takada School. The local treats, coupled with the central location of Tsu, make it a convenient starting point to explore the surrounding tourist spots. So, set sail and embark on a journey to explore the wonders of Tsu – a city that truly has something for everyone.