Tsu: Castle Park, Temples and Living Traditions

Tsu brings together impressive sites from the city’s history, Buddhist traditions, and a festival whose history dates back around 390 years. In the city center, you’ll find the ruins of Tsu Castle and Tsu Kannon; Shitennoji offers another way to experience temple culture. You can tailor your trip to your own interests, with time in the castle park, historical stories, or a reservable zazen experience.

Tsu Castle: Ruins and Gardens

Parts of the Honmaru, Nishinomaru, and inner moat of Tsu Castle remain. The grounds have been landscaped as a castle park, where you can stroll in peaceful surroundings along the moat and through the gardens. This means you can experience the site not only as a historic landmark, but also as a green space in the city center. As you plan your stay, consider whether a peaceful stroll like this should be an important part of your Tsu trip.

The castle’s history is linked to two names: Oda Nobukane founded it, and the accomplished castle builder Tōdō Takatora extensively remodeled it. The surviving areas offer a tangible connection to the castle’s past, even though the entire complex has not been preserved. History enthusiasts can connect the traces in the park with the stories of the people who shaped the castle.

Temple History in Tsu

Tsu Kannon, officially Ebijisan Kannonji, is also located in the city center and ranks among Japan’s three great Kannon temples, alongside Asakusa Kannon in Tokyo and Osu Kannon in Nagoya. Its founding tradition dates back to 709. According to legend, work on the principal image began after it was caught in a fisherman’s net off Akogiura. This story gives the temple its own founding legend, distinct from the later history of the castle.

Tsu Kannon is home to around 600 valuable cultural properties. Some are displayed at the Tsu Kannon Museum on a regular or as-needed basis. If you’d like to explore individual cultural properties as well as the temple’s founding tradition, the museum offers another way to learn about the temple. Shitennoji adds to this cultural picture: it is considered the oldest temple in Tsu City. Its surviving features include a gate from the early Edo period and old roof tiles dating to the time of Prince Shōtoku.

Zazen and the Tsu Matsuri

Shitennoji offers zazen experiences by advance reservation. They cost 5,000 yen per person and last 1.5 to 2 hours; participation is not possible on some days. These details can help you plan the experience as a separate activity and allow enough time for it. For a culturally focused trip, there are several options: the castle’s history and surviving areas, temple traditions, or a guided zazen experience.

Another special attraction is the Tsu Matsuri, a traditional event with a history of around 390 years. Anotsu Yosakoi grew out of the Tsu Matsuri in 1998. Anyone can take part in this dance event, regardless of age or gender. This offers a different way to engage than visiting historic sites: here, dance takes center stage, and visitors can join in themselves. The figure of around 390 years refers to the history of the Tsu Matsuri, while Anotsu Yosakoi has been running since 1998.

Which Accommodation Is Right for Your Trip?

If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Tsu, it can help to decide in advance what you want to focus on during your stay. Would you like to explore the castle grounds and gardens, are you especially interested in temple history and cultural properties, or would you like to plan a zazen experience? If your trip also includes taking part in Anotsu Yosakoi, the event itself can be part of your plans. That way, your choice of accommodation reflects what you want to experience in Tsu rather than a general idea of a cultural trip.

More destination pages to help you plan: Toba, Shima, Yokkaichi, Kumano, Odai, Suzuka, Owase and Iga.

For the broader travel overview: Mie Prefecture.