Where to stay in Tsu

Tsu is the capital city of Mie Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2021, the city had an estimated population of 274,879 in 127,273 households and a population density of 390 persons per km2.

Tsu is often claimed to be the world's shortest pronounceable city name. The vowel is similar to the one in the English word 'too', but is shorter, has less lip rounding, and is typically voiceless; it is perceptible, but sounds 'whispered'. Also, as English speakers may find the [t] hard to hear, the name sounds rather like 'Sue'. Pronouncing the [t], however, is essential in conveying the meaning. In Japanese, the city name is usually written either using the character 津, or with つ, a 'hiragana' symbol which indicates the syllable [tsɯ].

Getting in

Chubu Airport is connected to Tsu by a ferry service which takes 40 minutes. From the port there is a direct bus to Tsu station, costing ¥200. Taxis also queue at the port. Tsu is on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line between Yokkaichi and Ise, starting at Nagoya. The main station, Tsu (津駅), serves Kintetsu and JR trains. A basic ticket between Nagoya and Tsu costs ¥980 on the Kintetsu line. In the north is the smaller Kintetsu Edobashi Station (江戸橋駅), where most students get off for the university, while the south is home to Kintetsu Tsu-Shinmachi Station (津新町駅).

Getting around

Tsu is split from north to south by Route 23, a highway which runs down the west coast of Ise Bay from Nagoya. It is therefore fairly easy to orientate yourself relative to the road. Tsu railway station is just off Route 23 towards the centre of town, as is Edobashi station. Buses run from outside Tsu station all over the city. Routes are written in Romanised Japanese on the front. Stops are signposted only in Japanese. At Tsu Station, passengers alight at one stop and board at another.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.