Odawara

Once again, it’s time to introduce a little-known section of the Greater Tokyo area that probably isn’t too well known about, perfect for a day trip outside the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo. So let’s hop on the Romance Car and head to the other end of the Odawara Railway and see what’s in Odawara! Little Inn on the Prairie… Surprisingly, Odawara historically is just as important a place as Kamakura was; in fact, the two towns represented the two factions that were constantly squabbling over resources on either side of what is now Kanagawa Prefecture during the Warring States Period. That kinda came to a close once the Tokugawa Shogunate came into power and turned Odawara into an important stop on the Old Tokaido Road linking Kyoto to old Edo and renamed it Odawara-Juku, with the last part meaning “inn” since this was usually within a day’s horse ride from Yokohama and Edo. Modern times moved the Tokaido onto the railroad bypassing Odawara, and Yokohama became the regional center of commerce in the late 19th century. This meant the town’s population sharply declined until 1937 saw the opening of new tunnels switching the JNR (now JR) Tokaido Mainline…