Odawara Castle: You can become a ninja. You can meet samurai.

Odawara Castle

Odawara Castle is a Japanese castle from the Sengoku period to the Edo period located in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is famous as the stronghold of the Hojo clan, and is also famous as an impregnable castle during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s conquest of Odawara.

Odawara Castle is currently a place of relaxation for citizens as Odawara Castle Ruins Park.

Cultural property designation

National historic sites

Japan’s 100 Famous Castles (No.23)

Business hours

9:00-17:00

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Fees

General: 510 yen

Elementary and junior high school students: 200 yen

Regular holidays

Second Wednesday of December

December 31st - January 1st

Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is available at the castle tower, Tokiwagi gate, history museum, Honmaru store, wisteria trellis temporary sightseeing bus parking lot, and Ninomaru tourist information center

Nearest station

JR Odawara Station

Parking lot

There is no parking lot in Odawara Castle Ruins Park. There is coin parking nearby.

Around Odawara Station Parking lot list

Location

Jonai, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 250-0014

Odawara Castle - Official Website

Top class in Japan! High-quality castle tower museum

You can enter the castle tower of Odawara Castle.

When you go up the stairs, you will find a reception desk where you can enter the castle tower by paying a fee.

• General: 510 yen
• Elementary and junior high school students: 200 yen

The castle tower is five-story building. On each floor, there are exhibits related to the history of Odawara Castle. The inside of the castle tower has been renovated, so it doesn’t look like it used to and has a modern interior, but the interior is very clean and beautiful.

The castle tower has become a very comprehensive museum, with a large amount of information and materials on display, such as the history of Odawara Castle and the construction of Odawara Castle.

There is also video content, making it easy to understand and interesting.

There are few museums inside castle towers that are so detailed and detailed. Since photography is prohibited inside the castle tower, there are no photos that can be included in this article, but as a museum inside a castle tower, it is one of the highest quality in Japan.

Excellent sense of openness! View from the top floor of the castle tower

The top floor of the castle tower is an observation deck. You can see the Odawara city area to the north, Sagami Bay to the east and south, and the mountains to the west.

North side: You can see Odawara Station and Odawara city.

East side: The contrast between the trees of Odawara Castle Park, the buildings in the city, and Sagami Bay beyond is beautiful.

South side: You can see the Izu Peninsula beyond the sea.

To the west: Ahead are the mountains of Hakone.

When building a castle tower, the location is determined by taking into account the view of neighboring countries and other factors. This results in an outstanding view.

The daimyo did not always reside in the castle tower, but at least only a limited number of people could climb to the top floor of the castle tower.

In other words, these views were only visible to feudal lords and related people at the time.

I think it’s great that it’s now open to the public and we can enjoy the same view.

Meet the samurai! You can throw shuriken! Honmaru Square

In front of the castle tower, there is a main plaza. Here you can take a break on the benches and buy drinks, food, and souvenirs at the shop.

Samurai are stationed at the Honmaru Square, and you can take commemorative photos with them.

There is also a gun squad in the main enclosure square, and they will periodically fire blanks from old-fashioned matchlock guns. It makes a pretty amazing sound, so it’s a must-see.

In the main square, there are stalls where you can eat and drink, and there is also an event where you can throw shuriken, so you can enjoy various things while taking a break.

Irresistible for ninja lovers! NINJA-kan

The NINJA-kan (History Museum) exhibits videos and materials about the Fuma ninja who lived at Odawara Castle.

There are also activities where you can experience being a ninja, so if you like ninjas, this is a must-visit spot.

Odawara Castle NINJA Museum (Historical Museum)

If you love samurai, this is the place! SAMURAI-kan

On his second floor of the Tokiwagi Gate, the SAMURAI-kan is open and exhibits samurai weapons.

Valuable weapons that you would never see in everyday life are on display.

The many armors lined up all have a solid feel to them, and just looking at them is impressive.

You can also actually wear the armor. If you go to SAMURAI-kan, you too can become a samurai.

Tokiwagimon SAMURAI Hall

Access to Odawara Castle and the main entrance “Umadashimon Gate”

There are several gates to enter Odawara Castle, but it is common to enter through the Umadashimon Gate, which is located after crossing Megane Bridge in the southeast.

Umadashimon Gate is about a 10-minute walk from Odawara Station.

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, you can also use Odawara City’s sightseeing bus called Umemaru.

Odawara-juku sightseeing tour bus Umemaru

If you take the Umemaru train from Odawara Station, get off at Meganebashi bus stop. (Time required: 3 minutes)

Guide to Ninomaru Tourist Information Center

Now, when you pass through the Umadashimon gate, you will see a plaza called Umaya Kuruwa.

The Ninomaru Tourist Information Center is located here.

Here you can apply to be accompanied by a guide who will show you the history and highlights of Odawara Castle.

If you come to the Ninomaru Tourist Information Center on the day and apply, they will guide you for free. (9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

The Ninomaru Tourist Information Center was built in the early Showa period, so it’s worth just looking around. It’s on the road to the castle tower, and there’s also a restroom, so be sure to stop by.

Huge! The akagane gate, a symbol of robustness

As you continue along the route, you will come to the Akagane Gate.

The Akagane Gate is the main gate of Ninomaru. Since it is the gate that leads to the castle tower, it is extremely large and built to strengthen security.

The Akagane Gate is the second largest gate after the Tokiwagi Gate, which is the main gate of Odawara Castle, and is one of the symbolic gates of Odawara Castle.

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, you can enter the inside of the bronze gate. (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.)

A stone drop is provided.

And here is a reproduction of Hojo Ujimasa, Ujinao, Ujiteru, and two senior vassals having a discussion.

This is a reproduction of a meeting of senior ministers called the Odawara Hyojo.

When Toyotomi’s army attacks during the Siege of Odawara (Odawara Battle), how will the Hojo clan fight back? This discussion was held twice. This is called the Odawara rating.

Opinions diverged, and in the end, the Hojo clan was destroyed without reaching a conclusion.

Odawara Castle’s main gate “Tokiwagi Gate”

Odawara Castle’s Tokiwagi Gate is the main gate of Odawara Castle’s main castle. If you pass through here, you will reach the castle tower. Because it is an important defensive base, it is larger and more solidly built than other gates.

Tokiwagi Gate has Tamon Yagura and Watari Yagura Gate, and Tamon Yagura was used as a storehouse for weapons.

Evergreen means an evergreen tree, and pine trees have been planted near the gate since ancient times, and the tree is likened to a pine tree that stays green and grows for decades, so that Odawara Castle can prosper forever. It is said that the gate was named Tokiwagi-mon in hopes of achieving this.

If you pass through this gate, you will reach Honmaru Square. And there is a castle tower. That’s all for my guidance. Please come to the main attraction, the castle tower.

From Odawara Castle to Odawara Station

Odawara Castle is close to Odawara Station, so you can get there quickly without having to take a bus.

Head from the castle tower to the north entrance, and Odawara Station is right there when you exit the north entrance.

History of Odawara Castle

The predecessor of Odawara Castle is a castle built by the Omori clan, who expanded into Nishi-Sagami during the Muromachi period. The size of the castle and the year it was built are unknown, but it is thought to have been built in the mid-15th century.

After that, the Odawara clan became the lord of the castle, and during the reign of Ujiyasu Hojo, the castle was greatly expanded. It is due to this expansion that Odawara Castle is famous as an impregnable castle.

During the Edo period, Ujinao Hojo, who surrendered to Tokugawa Ieyasu, became the lord of the Odawara domain, and the castle became the domain office of the Odawara domain.

During the Meiji period, the castle was abandoned and many of the buildings were demolished, but the castle tower remained and has been designated as an important cultural property of the country.

Odawara Castle in its heyday

It is believed that Odawara Castle’s heyday was during the reign of Ujiyasu Hojo.

Hojo Ujiyasu succeeded him as head of the family in 1560 (Eiroku 3) and took control of the Kanto region. Ujiyasu developed and expanded Odawara Castle as a central base for his control of the Kanto region, building a structure with a total length of 9km. The buildings within the castle were also improved, making Odawara Castle the largest castle in the Kanto region.

This allowed Ujiyasu to face powerful enemies such as Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, and win many times. This was due to the sturdiness of Odawara Castle as well as Ujiyasu’s excellent military talent.

Why Odawara Castle is said to be impregnable

The reason Odawara Castle is said to be impregnable is because during the era of Ujiyasu Hojo, the castle was greatly expanded by building a general structure and other structures to fight against the Toyotomi army, but there are four specific points.

Sougamae

The most distinctive feature of Odawara Castle is its vast outer wall, called the sougamae. The entire town of Odawara, from Mt. Hachiman to the coast, is surrounded by earthworks and dry moats, with a total length of 9 km. This is longer than the total length of Osaka Castle, which was later built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

A total castle is a castle that is surrounded by walls to prevent enemy invasion. Due to its vast size, Odawara Castle was effective in stopping enemy soldiers and cutting down on attackers.

Benefits of natural terrain

Odawara Castle is built on a hilly area facing Sagami Bay. Surrounded by the sea on the east and mountains on the west, it served as a natural fortress.

There were also many swamps and ponds around the castle. These were used to pin down enemy soldiers or to waterboard them.

The solidity of the castle

Odawara Castle’s castle tower was one of the tallest at the time. In addition, there were many towers and gates placed inside the castle, which were designed to prevent enemy invasion.

Furthermore, Odawara Castle was stocked with abundant food and water. As a result, they were able to continue fighting for a long period of time even after being besieged.

Achievements of defeating the strong and enduring large armies for a long time

With these expansions, Odawara Castle became one of the strongest castles in Japan, and even repelled attacks from brave Sengoku warlords such as Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen.

During the later conquest of Odawara, the invading Toyotomi army numbered approximately 200,000, while the Hojo army at Odawara Castle numbered approximately 60,000. Despite this, Odawara Castle was besieged for about 100 days.

Because of these achievements, Odawara Castle has left its name as an impregnable castle.

The biggest event at Odawara Castle

The most important event at Odawara Castle was the Siege of Odawara.

The Siege of Odawara is expressed by various names, such as the Battle of Odawara, the Battle of Odawara, and the Battle of Odawara, but the event is the same.

First, as a premise, in 1588 (Tensho 16), Toyotomi Hideyoshi had issued a law called the Sobujirei, which prohibited wars between feudal lords. Those who violated this order were besieged by Hideyoshi’s large army, killed their entire families, and had their territories confiscated. In other words, subjugation.

The origin of the Siege of Odawara was that the Hojo clan had gained hegemony in the Kanto region and had grown into a force that blocked Hideyoshi’s unification of the country. Although the Hojo clan showed an attitude of subordination to Hideyoshi, it actually acted as an independent force.

Then, in October 1589 (Tensho 17), Norinao Inomata, a vassal of the Hojo clan, captured Kurumi Castle in Ueno Province, a territory of the Sanada clan. This act violated the Sohan Rei, and Hideyoshi decided to use this as an excuse to subjugate the Hojo clan.

In March 1590 (Tensho 18), Hideyoshi led various feudal lords from all over the country to besiege Odawara Castle, and the Siege of Odawara began. The Hojo clan waged a siege battle at Odawara Castle with approximately 30,000 soldiers, but they were surrounded by Hideyoshi’s overwhelming military force and three months later, he surrendered in June.

As a result of the Siege of odawara, the Hojo clan was destroyed and the Kanto region came under Hideyoshi’s influence.

A castle with a high level of entertainment and commercial value.

The Odawara Castle castle tower museum takes us back in time to the Sengoku period with its overwhelming amount of materials and various approaches, including videos.

At the NINJA Hall, there are activities where you can experience being a ninja, and at the SAMURAI Hall, you can try wearing armor.

Enjoy the history of Odawara and Odawara Castle, and become a samurai or even a ninja.

I like Japanese history, I like samurai, I like samurai, and I like ninja. For those of you, this castle is a must-visit.

Odawara Castle is a highly entertaining facility. As a Japanese castle, it has a very high level of commerciality, so please come and visit it.