Odawara Castle is Kanagawa's best-preserved castle site, surrounded by a beautiful park and cherry trees. Combine with a visit to Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato to taste and make Odawara's legendary fish cake. Easy to combine as a morning excursion before continuing to Hakone.
Odawara is a coastal castle town at the western edge of Kanagawa, historically significant as the base of the Hojo clan who ruled much of the Kanto region during the Sengoku period (15th–16th centuries). Today the city anchors a half-day or full-day excursion that pairs Odawara Castle — one of the best-preserved castle complexes in the Kanto region — with a visit to Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato, a renowned producer of kamaboko (fish cake) whose Odawara-style product has been a national culinary benchmark for over a century.
From Yokohama, the JR Tokaido Line reaches Odawara in approximately 40 minutes (950 JPY one way). Odawara is also a Tokaido Shinkansen stop, allowing visitors from Tokyo (25 minutes by Shinkansen, around 3,300 JPY) to integrate it smoothly into a wider itinerary. The castle is a 15-minute walk from Odawara station through a spacious park lined with camphor trees and seasonal plantings.
Odawara Castle (Odawara-jo) was originally constructed in the mid-15th century and grew into one of the largest castle complexes in feudal Japan, the seat of Hojo power for over a century before falling to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590. The current five-storey white donjon is a 1960 concrete reconstruction of the 1703 keep and houses a local history museum (510 JPY) covering the Hojo era and Odawara's role in Edo-period commerce. The surrounding park is one of Kanagawa's most popular cherry blossom destinations in late March and early April, and a small zoo within the grounds attracts families.
Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato, located on the coast a short bus ride or 20-minute walk from the station, is a working kamaboko factory complex with tasting counters, a museum explaining the centuries-old craft, and hands-on workshops (approximately 1,000–1,300 JPY) where visitors shape and cook their own steamed fish cake on cedar boards. Odawara's kamaboko is considered the national standard for the product, which is a staple of Japanese New Year and traditional cuisine. The complex restaurant serves seafood set lunches featuring local ingredients.
Odawara is also the departure point for the Hakone Tozan Railway; combining a morning castle and kamaboko visit with an afternoon in Hakone is a practical and popular full-day structure.
Suggested itinerary
- 09:00 — Arrive Odawara; Odawara Castle park (15 min walk from station)
- 09:30 — Castle museum visit (510 JPY)
- 11:00 — Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato (bus from station)
- 11:30 — Kamaboko tasting and workshop (1,000 JPY)
- 13:00 — Lunch in Odawara; local seafood set lunch (1,500 JPY)
- 14:00 — Transfer to Hakone if continuing, or return to Yokohama
Location
35.2564, 139.1572 View on map
Highlights
- Tour Odawara Castle keep and museum, set in one of Kanagawa's finest cherry blossom parks
- Make and eat kamaboko fish cake at the Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato hands-on workshop
- Walk the moat perimeter of Odawara Castle park among camphor trees and seasonal flowers
- Continue to Hakone on the Tozan Railway, which departs directly from Odawara station
- Sample Odawara's local seafood and kamaboko products at the Suzuhiro complex restaurant
Tips for visiting
- Odawara is the gateway to Hakone — make it a morning stop before heading up into the mountains on the Hakone Tozan Railway.
When to visit
Late March to early April for cherry blossoms in the castle park; autumn (October–November) is pleasant for the castle walk without summer heat. The kamaboko workshop and castle museum are all-weather and equally worthwhile year-round.
Frequently asked questions
Do visitors need to book the Suzuhiro kamaboko workshop in advance?
Advance booking via the Suzuhiro website is recommended for weekends and public holidays, as the hands-on workshop fills quickly. Walk-ins are sometimes accepted on weekday visits. The workshop typically takes about 45 minutes and the finished kamaboko is grilled and eaten on site.
Is the Odawara Castle donjon the original feudal structure?
The current keep is a 1960 reinforced-concrete reconstruction modelling the appearance of the castle's 1703 donjon, which itself replaced the original Sengoku-era structure. The reconstruction houses a museum tracing Odawara's history through the Hojo period and the town's later role in Edo-period trade.
Can the trip to Odawara be combined with Hakone on the same day?
Yes — this is one of the most practical combinations in western Kanagawa. Arriving at Odawara by 09:00, visiting the castle and Suzuhiro by midday, then boarding the Hakone Tozan Railway for an afternoon in Hakone is a workable full-day itinerary for fit travellers.
Is the Odawara trip suitable for families with young children?
Yes. The castle park contains a small zoo (free entry), a playground, and open lawns; the kamaboko workshop is suitable for children aged 6 and above; and the town is flat and walkable from the station, with no challenging terrain involved.