7 Popular Tourist Spots in Tsu City, a Nature-Rich Area Filled with History and Tradition

Spring and fall are the best times to visit Tsu City.
In spring, the city is dotted with famous cherry blossom spots led by Tsu Kairaku Park, where you can enjoy rows of cherry trees in full pink bloom.
Tea stalls and food stands brighten the whole area, and the evening illuminations after sunset are beautiful as well.
In fall, the autumn leaves coloring the street trees, shrines, and temples are stunning, and the mild weather makes it perfect for walking around.
The mountain areas in particular have many spots where you can feel the changing of the seasons, and the colorful scenery is truly photogenic.
You can also enjoy traditional events and seasonal flavors, making for a rich and memorable experience filled with local charm.

Mie Prefecture does not have an airport, so if you are flying to Tsu City, you will need to travel via Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture.
Here is a summary of how to get to Tsu Station, the city’s main terminal station located in the center of the city, and the travel time required.

Another one of Tsu City’s attractions is its convenient access from major cities such as Tokyo Station, Osaka Station, and Nagoya Station.
With few transfers and short travel times, plus international airports in all three areas, it is also a great option for a wider sightseeing plan if your budget and schedule allow.

Located in central Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, the Tsu Castle Ruins mark an area that once thrived as a castle town. Today, it is a beautiful park loved by locals as a place to relax.
Inside the park, a peaceful Japanese garden and a vibrant Western-style garden coexist, creating lovely scenery in every season.
Spring is especially beautiful, with the contrast between the moss-covered stone walls and cherry blossoms, and the site is also known as one of Tsu City’s famous cherry blossom spots.

The Louvre Sculpture Museum in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, is the only museum in Japan that is an official sister museum of the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris.
It displays nearly 1,300 sculptures created using molds taken directly from the originals by the Louvre Museum’s technical team.
The works faithfully reproduce even the texture and fine marks of the originals, allowing visitors to admire historic masterpieces such as the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo up close.

This historic temple is said to have been founded in 709, and its formal name is Enichizan Kannonji Daihoin.
Locals have long affectionately called it “Kannon-san.”
Its principal image, Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, is known as Tsu Kannon, and it is counted as one of Japan’s three famous Kannon temples alongside Asakusa Kannon in Tokyo and Osu Kannon in Aichi.

Senjuji Temple, the head temple of the Takada School of Shinshu, is a historic temple founded by Shinran Shonin, the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. It is affectionately known as Takadahonzan.
Located in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, its vast grounds contain many National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
Among them, the most impressive are the Miedo Hall and Nyorai-do Hall, both designated National Treasures. Rebuilt in 1666, the Miedo Hall is a massive wooden structure ranked among the five largest National Treasure wooden buildings in Japan.

Tsu Kairaku Park in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, is a beautiful park where abundant nature and history come together.
It was once the site of a villa belonging to the 11th lord of the Tsu Domain. The garden makes use of the natural terrain, offering beautiful scenery in every season.
In spring, around 1,000 Somei Yoshino cherry trees and about 800 purple azaleas burst into bloom, covering the entire park in pink and purple flowers.

Located in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, this beautiful garden blends social welfare and the environment, with flowers lovingly grown by people with disabilities.
It is located inside Ise Onsen Golf Club near Kazahaya Pond, where the kappa, a mythical creature from Japanese folklore, is said to have lived.
Some 77,700 hydrangea plants across 45 varieties, including rare types such as Selma and Sharona that are not often seen elsewhere, bloom in abundance here, creating breathtaking scenery that feels like another world.

This shrine is dedicated to Lord Yuki Munehiro, a military commander from the Nanboku-cho period who supported Emperor Go-Daigo and helped establish the Kenmu Restoration.
Also known as Yuki-zuka and Yuki Myojin, it has long been deeply revered, and a magnificent gravestone engraved with “Grave of Lord Yuki Shin-kun” stands on the grounds.
In addition to around 300 weeping plum trees, many other varieties of plum trees are planted within the shrine grounds, and the Plum Festival is held every year from around mid-February to mid-March, when the blossoms are at their best.

Located around 15 minutes by bus from the front of Tsu Station, Toyoken Main Branch is a long-established Western-style restaurant founded in 1928.
The interior, renovated from a Taisho-era (1912–1926) building, has a classic atmosphere where nostalgic warmth and elegance come together.
It originally opened as a branch of Toyoken, a supplier to the Imperial Household Agency, and today continues to serve authentic Western-style dishes backed by a long history and refined technique.
Its most popular menu item is the traditional Black Curry, which has been served since the restaurant first opened.
Made by simmering Matsusaka beef with a secret sauce for around three weeks and taking Approx. one month to complete, it is a striking dish with a jet-black appearance.

Located about a 5-minute walk from Tsu Station, Daikantei Shiten Sakaemachi Main Branch is a long-established eel restaurant loved by locals for many years.
The cozy interior has a comfortable atmosphere, with table seating on the first floor and tatami seating on the second floor.
Popular dishes include the reasonably priced unadon (regular), topped with two pieces of eel, and the more luxurious unaju (premium), which comes with four pieces.
The restaurant is known for its Kansai-style eel grilled over charcoal, with fluffy, tender meat and crisp, lightly charred skin.
As it is an extremely famous restaurant, it often sells out during lunchtime service from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm almost every day, so arriving early is recommended.

Located 5 minutes by taxi from Tsu Station, Meifutsu Tenmusu no Senju is a famous restaurant known as the birthplace of tenmusu, rice balls filled with small shrimp tempura.
Tenmusu was originally created as a staff meal by the owner’s wife for her husband. When it was served to regular customers, it proved so popular that it eventually became the restaurant’s signature item.
The restaurant’s tenmusu is an exceptional specialty made by wrapping fluffy hand-shaped rice around plump shrimp tempura and then wrapping it again in nori from Ise Bay.
Its well-balanced flavor and clear attention to ingredients make it a memorable taste you will not easily forget once you have tried it.
For an even better experience, try ordering it with freshly made miso soup with mitsuba or aonori.

Hotel Green Park Tsu is an upscale community hotel located inside the Ast Tsu building, a landmark rising 88 m above ground, just a 2-minute walk from JR and Kintetsu Tsu Station.
Directly connected to Tsu Station, it offers excellent convenience even on rainy days, with plenty of nearby spots as well, making it an ideal base for business or sightseeing.
One of its biggest attractions is that all guest rooms are located on the 13th floor or above (54 m above ground), offering spectacular views of Ise Bay to the east and the Nunobiki Mountains to the west.
The hotel offers a wide variety of room types, all equipped with amenities such as Wi-Fi, humidifiers, and air purifiers.
The buffet-style breakfast featuring local specialties is also well reviewed by guests.
It is also recommended for longer stays thanks to its coin laundry facilities and free stays for children sharing a bed (no additional charge for children up to sixth grade in elementary school).

Reopened after renovation in 2022, Hotel Tsu Center Palace is a designer hotel located Approx. 10 minutes by bus from JR and Kintetsu Tsu Station.
Built around the concept of being a “connection point between locals and guests,” it offers a space that blends the liveliness and warmth of Tsu with modern comfort.
The lobby is filled with thoughtful touches expressing Mie and the character of a post town, from houseplants and acoustic building materials to art pieces from Tsu City, making it enjoyable from the moment you walk in.
The guest rooms feature wood-toned Japanese-style interiors, and amenities such as custom-made pillows by Nihon Bed and TVs compatible with video streaming services promise a comfortable stay.
The hotel restaurant, where you can enjoy Mie’s food culture including Matsusaka beef and Ise lobster, is also popular.
After a day of travel, relax in the large public bath with an open-air bath overlooking Ise Bay.

Mado Onsen Ryofuso is a welcoming inn for travelers that was founded in 1962.
Surrounded by countryside and satoyama landscapes that feel like returning to your hometown, it offers a one-of-a-kind setting for a warm and relaxing stay.
Step into the building and guest rooms, which retain the charm of the Showa era, and the nostalgic atmosphere makes the fatigue of the day melt away.
Another attraction is the chance to connect with nature, including firefly viewing in the surrounding area from June to July.
There is plenty to see here, but one of the most popular highlights is the unique cave experience.
Meals feature grilled surf-and-turf dishes made with fresh seafood and Matsusaka beef, served in an extraordinary cave tatami dining space.
There is also a private cave-style bath with rock surfaces reminiscent of a limestone cave, and its mystical lighting creates an atmosphere almost like a theme park.