Odawara Castle
Odawara Castle, A White Keep Rebuilt In 1960 On The Site Of The Hojo Clan'S Huge Stronghold, A Gateway To Hakone, With A Small Museum In The Keep And A Park Around It. Pleasant For An Hour On The Way To Or From The Mountains. · Odawara, Kanagawa
Odawara Castle is a white keep with a green-tiled roof standing in a park in the middle of Odawara, Kanagawa, a few minutes' walk from the station. The keep you see was rebuilt in 1960 in concrete (confirm), so it is a reconstruction, not an original. The site, though, was once the seat of the Hojo clan, whose stronghold was one of the biggest in eastern Japan until Toyotomi Hideyoshi's armies besieged and took it in 1590 (confirm). A small history museum fills the keep, with armour, swords and models, and the top floor gives a view over the town and the bay, and there is a lift (confirm). Around it are moats, the red Gaku gate, a ninja experience and a Goyomon gate. It suits a short stop on the way to Hakone, history fans and families. Allow about an hour. It is worth it for the view and the story, and not a reason to travel far on its own. Cherry blossom in spring and a plum grove nearby in late winter add colour, and kamaboko shops near the station make an easy snack.
6-1 Josai, Odawara, Kanagawa, a short walk from Odawara Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen and Odakyu line, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
The keep is usually open from morning to late afternoon, around 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry about 30 minutes before closing and a later close at peak seasons - confirm. It may close for a few days around New Year. The park and moat are free and open all day. Odawara Station is on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the JR Tokaido line and the Odakyu line, roughly 35 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen and about 90 minutes by Odakyu. From the station it is a walk of about 10 minutes. No booking is needed. IC cards work at the station, but cash is needed at the keep desk and at some small shops.