Odawara Castle Tickets

Odawara Castle guards the gateway between the Kanto plain and the Hakone mountains, and for a century it was the seat of the Hojo clan, whose fortress here was famously vast enough to shrug off siege after siege. The reconstructed keep rising above the modern town holds a museum of samurai arms and clan history, with a top floor lookout over Sagami Bay that shows exactly why this spot mattered.

Inside the keep and grounds

The five storey donjon walks you up through exhibitions on the Hojo era, the castle’s destruction and rebuilding, and a fine collection of armour and swords, with solid English labelling. Around it, the castle park keeps impressive gates, moats and stone walls, and turns pink with cherry blossom each spring, one of the region’s best known hanami spots. Samurai and ninja themed experience corners entertain children in the grounds.

Pairing with Hakone

Because nearly every Hakone bound traveller passes through Odawara, the castle makes an ideal first or last stop on a Hakone trip. It needs only 60 to 90 minutes, and luggage lockers at the station make a stopover painless between Tokyo and the mountains.

Getting there

The castle park is a ten minute walk from Odawara Station, which is served by the Tokaido Shinkansen, JR Tokaido Line and Odakyu Line from Shinjuku. From Tokyo the shinkansen takes about 35 minutes, and Odakyu express services around 90 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Is the keep original? No, it is a postwar concrete reconstruction, but the exhibitions and views justify the climb.

When is cherry blossom season? Typically late March to early April, when the moats are spectacular.

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