{"id":4550,"date":"2021-04-23T16:36:28","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T07:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/lets-tour-odawara\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:34:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:34:06","slug":"lets-tour-odawara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/lets-tour-odawara\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Tour: Odawara"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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!<\/p>\n

Little Inn on the Prairie…<\/h3>\n

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<\/em><\/a>, 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 back through the middle of Odawara. Less than 30 years later, the Shinkansen high-speed rail line also opened a station here, and a new era of being an exurban bedroom community of Tokyo and Yokohama began.<\/p>\n\n

Gateway to Fuji, Anchor of Shonan<\/h3>\n

Located in southwestern Kanagawa Prefecture and about 80kms from Shinjuku in Tokyo, Odawara is at the end of the Shonan Beach City<\/a> zone and is also the gateway to the Hakone<\/a> ski and nature reserve area as well as a good way to head to Mt. Fuji. Even if you\u2019re headed to these destinations, Odawara should definitely bookend your journey, if only for its convenience. The station itself is currently being overhauled and has a decent-sized shopping mall grafted onto its southern ocean-facing exit into the main downtown area called Minaka Odawara<\/a>\u00a0and includes an up-to-date rendition of an old Taisho\/Showa era collection of michi-no-eki<\/i> at the street level. It\u2019s just a facade, and the inside is very much appropriate for 2021. A tourist information center<\/a> is also located on the main gate level of the station and should be your first stop to pick up maps and various guidebooks in the language of your choice; there are also discount coupons and tickets handed out here at various times of the year as well!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On the way to the castle<\/h3>\n
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Heading out of the East exit of Odawara Station, head south on the street immediately in front of there, passing by the new Minika<\/i><\/a> shops along the way. Eventually, you\u2019ll reach a junction with an elementary school in front of you; turn left here, and as you walk along, there will be historical markers every so often. These mark the former outer walls and gates of the Odawara Castle<\/a> complex. You can see some of the original stone \u201cboulders\u201d used as masonry, along with a very well-manicured stream that was once part of the castle\u2019s moat. Sections of it are now used as planting beds for different varieties of flowers. Also, note that many of the walkways and streets that form the castle’s perimeter are lined with Japanese cherry trees. The area is usually a prime spot for hanami<\/i> cherry blossom parties during the early spring blooming season. (however, due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, many events are still canceled\u2013 always check the Tourist Information Center for updated information.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Castle Grounds<\/h3>\n
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Rounding the bend and crossing over the moat over wooden bridges and into the main gate, you start to notice the serious undertaking that happens to create all these old structures. Though a large part of Odawara Castle is a recreation of what stood there, many of the construction techniques used in the recreated outer walls, and the castle itself, were done using materials and tools from that time period. Also, for seemingly no related reason, there is a sizeable enclosure housing a family of Japanese Macaque monkeys sitting prominently for all to crowd around and watch them \u201cmonkey around\u201d (sorry-not-sorry). If you\u2019re fortunate, you can spot their wild cousins living in the mountainsides all over Japan and sometimes can be seen bathing in hot springs.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In the neighborhood\u2026<\/h3>\n
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Unfortunately, the pandemic caused the tours to the actual castle itself to be canceled. Still, according to the guide, the caretakers are using the downtime to rehabilitate the interior, so you now have something to look forward to when the time comes! \ud83d\ude09 But there\u2019s plenty of attractions that are still open for business in the area around the castle:<\/p>\n