Destinations

Odawara

"Although today Odawara is mainly used seen by tourists as a staging post for visitors to the Hakone National Park, it is a city with a long and fascinating history and a visit to the castle is well worth making"

Alastair Donnelly - Director

Located on the Tokaido Shinkansen line 40 minutes from Tokyo, Odawara was formerly one of the most powerful cities in all of Japan with Odawara Castle being a key strategic point during the Warring States Period (16th Century). During the early years of the Edo Period (1603-1868) Odawara became one of the most important stops on the Tokaido Highway which connected Edo with the capital Kyoto and had a thriving economy built upon the large number of travellers stopping off during their journeys. However, a seemingly endless series of natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunami and a major eruption of Mt. Fuji left the city in a terminal state of decline.

Today Odawara serves primarily as the access point for the Hakone National Park and is linked to the capital Tokyo by several train lines including the Shinkansen. Having being destroyed during WW2, the castle has been reconstructed and is open as a museum to visitors.

The shinkansen platforms at Odawara Station are also one of the best places to take pictures of the Bullet Train flying past, so if you are catching the train from here be sure to arrive a few minutes early to capture that blurry moment!