Matsusaka sits in Mie Prefecture between Nagoya and Ise, and most people know its name because of beef. That is fair enough: Matsusaka beef is one of Japan's great luxury ingredients. But the city is more interesting than a meal stop.
The old castle area holds the best of it. Matsusaka Castle Ruins still have handsome stone walls and town views, while the nearby Gojoban Yashiki preserves a long row of samurai residences. The Motoori Norinaga Memorial Museum gives the city a literary and scholarly weight that most quick visitors miss.
Matsusaka is not Kyoto, and does not try to be. It is a compact castle and merchant town with a few strong sights, good food, and enough traditional architecture to reward a half-day or overnight stop on the way to Ise.