Charlie fong, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Odawara

A Hojo castle town on Sagami Bay

Odawara is a Kanagawa Prefecture town on Sagami Bay that was the base of the Hojo clan. Its castle fell to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century after a siege that ended their rule over the Kanto region. The keep seen today is a reconstruction with an observation deck over the bay. The town is known for kamaboko fish cake, dried fish and umeboshi pickled plums. The station is a major rail hub, so the town suits a short stop or a base for Hakone. A visit to the castle takes about an hour, with the kamaboko workshops as a good second stop.

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City in Japan

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$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 9.3

General Safety:	10
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	8
Tap water:	10

Read details

2/5

English is spoken at major hotels, the castle and tourist centres, but less so in small shops and restaurants. Signage is improving and translation apps are helpful. Locals are friendly and try to assist.

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Last update: 20 Oct 2026

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Odawara Summary

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Good for castle history and coastal trips. Explore the restored castle, stroll seaside parks, visit museums and use it as a gateway to nearby hot springs.

Place score

7.7

Best at:

Spotless

Walkable

Castles

Historic sites

Fishing

Personal score

Suited for

👶 6

Families

🧓 8

Seniors

🛡️ 8

Travel Beginners

👩 8

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Japan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	100 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type A Type A: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Japanese Yen (JPY) £1 ≈ JP¥210
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cashless payments are becoming more common, especially in cities, with some shops still preferring cash. Be prepared for occasional cash-only situations in rural areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not customary in Japan and can be considered rude. Excellent service is the norm, and tipping is unnecessary in most places.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is legal and commonly accepted, particularly during festivals and events.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public places but allowed in designated outdoor areas. Some restaurants may have smoking sections.

New Year (January)	One of the most important holidays, expect crowded temples and high prices. Plan ahead.
Golden Week (April-May)	The busiest travel time, expect high demand for accommodation and transport.
Obon (August)	A time to honour ancestors, many businesses close, and transport can be crowded.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire & Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, JapanTaxi, DiDi
Other:	Japan is a country of respect, so understanding local customs and etiquette is important. Public transport is efficient, but can be crowded during peak hours.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
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Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Odawara, Japan

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Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

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May

🌤️

Jun

🌦️

Jul

🔥

Aug

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Sep

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Oct

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Nov

☀️

Dec

High season:	April - May, Nov.
Shoulder season:	Jan. - March, June - Aug., Oct., Dec.
Crowdedness:	5 (Moderate tourist numbers)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Hojo Godai Festival on 3 May with a large samurai parade at Odawara Castle

Typhoon season August to October can disrupt trains and Hakone mountain transport

Soga Plum Grove blooms early February to early March, cherry blossoms at the castle late March to early April

Don't miss

🏯 Explore the historic Odawara Castle and grounds
🕵️‍♂️ Visit the Ninja Trick House for fun family adventures
🌸 Walk through vibrant Odawara Plum Grove in spring
🌊 Enjoy panoramic bay views from Enoura Observatory
🌳 Relax at Odawara Wanpaku Land playground and park
🍣 Dine on fresh seafood at Odawara Fishing Port market

You've been here?

Why travel to Odawara?

Odawara Castle was held by the Hojo clan, a powerful Warring States family that controlled the area around modern Tokyo until Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated them in a siege. The original keep was dismantled in the 19th century and the one standing today is a concrete reconstruction based on Edo period drawings. Inside, five floors of exhibits cover the castle's history and the top floor has an observation deck with a view of Sagami Bay. Admission is JP¥510 (£2.42) and the walk from the station's East Exit takes about 10 minutes. Hideyoshi built a siege castle on a nearby hill, known as Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle or the Overnight Castle. Its stone walls survive as a National Historic Site and entry is free. The nearest station is a long walk away. The town is also known for kamaboko, a springy fish cake that began as a preserved food in the late Edo period. Workshops let you make your own. Dried fish from Sagami Bay and umeboshi plums are the other local favourites. The town works as a base for Hakone. The Hakone Tozan Railway leaves from Odawara Station and a short ride takes you to the hot spring area of Hakone-Yumoto.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Odawara Castle
2 Hōtoku-Ninomiya Shrine

🎡Places for activities

1 Odawara Castle Park

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Sagami Bay
2 @Park

🛍️Shopping

1 minaka

🍽️Eat & Drink

1 Odawara Gyoko Sajirushi Shokudo
Seafood bowls and a signature half-raw aji fry at a diner run by the Abouya fish wholesaler, which began in 1587. It is near Hayakawa Port and a line often forms before opening on holidays.
2 Uoichiba Shokudo
Aji don, a rice bowl piled so high with horse mackerel sashimi that the rice is hidden, at a diner on the second floor of Odawara fish market. It has 76 seats and fills with market workers at lunch.
3 Warabe Saigyodo
Sashimi, seafood bowls, aji fry, local fish and handmade crab croquettes at a restaurant right in front of Odawara fishing port, where auction calls can be heard in the morning. It serves lunch and dinner, but only lunch on Wednesdays.
4 Odawara Gotetsu
Seafood bowls made with fish delivered straight from Hayakawa Port, at a specialist shop on Osakana-dori, the street of fish restaurants beside the port. Reservations are essential, so book before visiting.
5 Ryoshi Meshi Shokudo
Hearty seafood bowls at a bright, busy diner a 5-minute walk from Hayakawa Station and right by Odawara fishing port. It has 40 table seats, which makes it easier to get in with a group.
6 Tenshiro Zushi
Sushi and seafood lunches at a shop that opened in 1865, two minutes on foot from Odawara Station. Many visitors stop in for a seafood lunch while sightseeing in Odawara.
7 Odawara Oden Honten
Oden, simmered vegetables and fish cakes, at a pub-style restaurant that specialises in the dish, in a city famous for kamaboko fish cakes. Tripadvisor lists it among the best Japanese restaurants in Odawara.
8 Chowaro Soba Mikura
Soba, tempura and sashimi in a renovated storehouse inside Suzuhiro Kamaboko Village, a fish cake museum and shop complex. It is named as one of the best places for soba in Odawara.
9 Aizumi Shokudo
Eel, tempura and tonkatsu at a diner four minutes on foot from Odawara Station. The menu is wide for a single diner, so groups with different tastes can all order what they like.
10 Uokoku
Seafood meals at a restaurant run by a fresh fish shop, on the second floor of Odawara Lasca, which is directly connected to the station. It has a long history.

🎈Events

Hojo Godai Festival (May)
Plum Blossom Festival (Feb–Mar)
Oden Summit (April)
Cherry Blossom Festival (March)
Summer Fireworks (August)
Odawara Port Festival (August)
Chochin Lantern Festival (October)
Izumi Kanon Festival (December)
Soga Umbrella Burning (May)
Ichiyajo Castle Festival (October)

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Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Last entry to the castle keep is half an hour before closing.
Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle is free to visit but is about a 50 minute walk from Hayakawa Station.
A combined ticket for the castle keep and the Ninja and Samurai museums costs JP¥610 (£2.89).
Try Odawara oden, made with local fish cakes. It's usually eaten with a dab of ume plum miso.

How to travel to Odawara

The shinkansen is the quickest way to reach Odawara. From Tokyo Station the Hikari takes about 27 to 35 minutes and the Kodama about 35 to 45 minutes. Kodama trains run roughly every 30 minutes through the day. Hikari trains are only one or two an hour, so check the timetable. The Odakyu line runs from Shinjuku and takes about 90 minutes on commuter trains. The Romancecar express is a little faster and needs a seat reservation with a surcharge. JR Tokaido Line local trains from Tokyo and Yokohama are the cheapest option. From Haneda Airport it takes about 90 minutes by train via Yokohama. Hikari and Kodama trains from Nagoya and Kyoto also stop here.

Access summary

From Tokyo Narita/Haneda: Airport train or bus to Tokyo, shinkansen to Odawara.
From Tokyo Station: Tokaido Shinkansen or JR Tokaido Line, about 30–60 minutes.
From Shinjuku: Odakyu Romancecar direct to Odawara, roughly 70–90 minutes.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Odawara

Most visitors stay around Odawara Station, where business hotels are within walking distance of the trains. This is a practical base if you want to see the castle in the morning and take a train to Hakone later in the day. Rooms are simple and the area has plenty of places to eat. A second option is to stay in Hakone itself. Its hot spring ryokan and resort hotels are the main reason to spend a night there, with baths and mountain views. Staying in Hakone suits travellers who want to soak after a day of sightseeing. Odawara is small compared with Tokyo or Yokohama, so rooms near the station can fill up at weekends and on holidays. Book ahead for those dates.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka -Kyoritsu Resort

8.9

Hakone Kowakien TEN-YU

9.1

Yumoto Fujiya Hotel

9.0

Hakone Suimeisou Hotel

9.0

Hakone Hotel Kajikaso

8.9

Hakone Kowakudani Onsen Ryokan Mizunoto -Kyoritsu Resort

9.0

Laforet Hakone Gora Yunosumika

Hakone Tenseien Hotel

8.6

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Odawara

Central Odawara is compact and flat, with the station as the hub. Most of the town's shops, restaurants and the castle moat are within easy walking distance of each other.

Walking:
From the station's East Exit the castle is about a 10 minute walk along Ohoribata Street. The centre is easy to cover on foot, so you can see the castle and the shopping streets in one outing.

Trains and buses:
The Hakone Tozan Railway runs from Odawara Station to Hakone-Yumoto. Kazamatsuri Station, about 7 minutes before Hakone-Yumoto, is the stop for the kamaboko workshops and a large shop run by a local maker. The Izu-Hakone Railway reaches Daiyuzan temple and buses serve the Hakone area and the coast.

Taxis and car:
Taxis wait at the station. A car isn't needed for the main sights but it helps for the hills and the coast beyond the town.

Food in Odawara

The food here draws on Sagami Bay and the surrounding farmland. Restaurants and izakaya are clustered around the station and the castle moat.

Odawara don:
This is a rice bowl made with local seafood or farm ingredients. Restaurants that follow the standard display a banner.

Oden:
Odawara oden uses fish cakes made from Sagami Bay seafood and local vegetables, usually eaten with ume plum miso.

Kamaboko:
Kamaboko, the fish cake that the town is best known for, is made mainly from fish such as queenfish and has a bright colour and springy bite.

Himono:
Himono are split and sun-dried fish, often horse mackerel and barracuda, lightly salted and grilled.

Umeboshi:
Local umeboshi were first made by Hojo Soun as rations for battle and are now a popular souvenir. Local wines made from plum, lemon and mandarin are also sold.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-45 %

Daily expenses in Odawara are around 45% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-20 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to JPY) is 20% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is considerably cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£49	£100	£254
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£26	£60	£120
🍝 Food per day	£17	£32	£95
🚕 Transportation per day	£6	£8	£38

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£11.50
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£5
🍟 Fast food combo	£3.70
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£7
☕ Cappuccino	£2.10
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£2.30

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£1.40
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£24
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.85

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£31
🤧 Cold medication	£7.50
💇 Basic haircut	£11.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Odawara is very safe, with low crime near the station and along the moat even at night. Natural hazards are the main concern. Typhoons from late summer to autumn and heavy rain in early summer can disrupt trains. Earthquakes are possible across the region.

Health & Medical

Medical care is very good, with hospitals and clinics in town and pharmacies near the station. English-speaking staff are limited, so a translation app and travel insurance help. For serious needs Yokohama and Tokyo are within reach by train.

Accessibility

The town centre is flat and the walk from the station to the castle is straightforward. The reconstructed keep has five floors of exhibits and some stairs, so allow extra time. Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle involves a long uphill walk and suits stronger walkers.

Tap water

Tap water in Odawara is safe to drink, as across Japan. Bottled water and tea are sold in convenience stores, supermarkets and vending machines around the station. A refillable bottle is useful on hot summer days at the castle.