Odawara Castle is a famous castle in Japanese history. During the Sengoku period, it was feared by many warlords as an impregnable castle. The castle tower was built at a height that allowed for a long-distance view so that enemy forces could be detected quickly. Therefore, the view from the castle tower is a spectacular sight that you should see at least once. This time, we will introduce in detail the spectacular view from the castle tower of the impregnable Odawara Castle in Kanagawa Prefecture.
①What is Odawara Castle?
Odawara Castle is a castle located in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
- ❶History of Odawara Castle.
- ❷What is Odawara Joshi Park?
- ❸A variety of flowers and plants that decorate the four seasons are planted here.
- ❹Children’s amusement park.
- ❺Closing of Odawara Zoo.
- ❻View from the castle tower where you can enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view.
- ➁Access information to Odawara Castle.
❶History of Odawara Castle.
Here we will briefly explain the history of Odawara Castle.
① Odawara Castle was built on Mt. Hachiman by Saneyori Omori in the 3rd year of Kyotoku during the Muromachi period.
②After the Onin War, in the 4th year of Meiō, Sozui Ise (Soun Hojo) captured Odawara Castle from Fujiyori Omori.
③In the 18th year of Tensho during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, the Hojo clan was defeated in a battle with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and fell into ruin. In the same year, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s vassal Tadayo Okubo became the lord of Odawara castle.
④After that, the castle owner changed many times during the Edo period.
⑤In the 3rd year of Meiji, Odawara Castle was abandoned and the castle tower was sold and demolished.
⑥The castle tower was rebuilt in 1963. There fore, the current Odawara Castle is not an existing castle from the Sengoku period, but a new castle that was rebuilt.
❷What is Odawara Joshi Park?
Odawara Joski Park is a park located within Odawara Castle. Odawara Joshi Park includes the Odawara Castle History Museum, children’s amusement park, Odawara City Library, and Odawara City Local Culture Museum.
❸A variety of flowers and plants that decorate the four seasons are planted here.
Odawara Castle Ruins Park is home to a variety of flowers and plants that decorate the four seasons. The main flowers and plants are as follows.
①Cherry blossoms, wisteria, and azaleas in spring.
②Hydrangeas and lotuses in summer.
③Autumn is colored leaves, osmanthus, and osmanthus
④Chrysanthemums, camellias, sasanqua flowers, and plums in winter
❹Children’s amusement park.
Children’s Amusement Park is an amusement park for young children located in Odawara Joshi Park. There are mini trains, battery cars, automatic play equipment, etc., and you can play for less than 100 yen each time. It is a small, nostalgic amusement park with a Showa era atmosphere.
❺Closing of Odawara Zoo.
Odawara Zoo is a zoo located within Odawara Castle Ruins Park. Odawara Zoo has been transferring captive animals since 2005. The last remaining seven Japanese macaques were transferred to Higashi Tsukuba Utopia in Ibaraki Prefecture. Therefore, it is currently closed.
▲Currently, it is a plaza, and the cherry blossoms are beautiful in the spring, making it a great cherry blossom viewing spot.
❻View from the castle tower where you can enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view.
The castle tower of Odawara Castle is a symbol of Odawara City, which was rebuilt in 1963 as a commemorative project for the 20th anniversary of Odawara City. The reconstructed castle tower is located at an altitude of approximately 60m. Therefore, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of Sagami Bay, the mountains of Boso Peninsula, Izu Oshima, Miura Peninsula, and the cityscape of Odawara. The view from the castle tower is a spectacular view that you should see at least once.
▲If you go up these stairs and go inside the castle, you will arrive at the castle tower.
❼Tokiwa Wooden Gate SAMURAI Building
Tokiwagimon SAMURAI Hall is an exhibition hall located in Odawara Joshi Park. It is located in the exhibition room on the 2nd floor of Tokiwagi Gate in Honmaru Square.TokiwagimonAt the SAMURAI building, there are exhibits specializing in weapons such as armor and swords. This facility is recommended for those interested in armor and swords from the time.
❽You can experience wearing armor
At Odawara Castle, you can try wearing armor. If you want to try it out, you can try on the kimono on the 1st floor of Tokiwagi Gate in Odawara Castle Ruins Park Honmaru Square. You can rent helmets, armor, kimonos, swords, and ninja costumes, and you can cosplay as a samurai, princess, or ninja.
❾Odawara Castle NINJA Hall
At Odawara Castle, there is a place where you can learn about ninja skills while having fun. The location is Odawara Castle NINJA Hall. At the Odawara Castle NINJA Museum, you can have fun learning about ninjas while playing with manual and digital items.
❿Restaurant “Honmaru Chaya”
The restaurant ″Honmaruchaya” is a Japanese-style restaurant where you can eat dishes named after the former lord of the castle, the Hojo clan. You can fill your stomach while thinking about the distant Sengoku period.
➁Access information to Odawara Castle.
Here you will find detailed information about access to Odawara Castle. The address of Odawara Castle is “Jonai, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture”.
❶Route from Odawara Station to Odawara Castle by car
Odawara Station (1-2 Sakaemachi, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture) ⇒ Prefectural Route 73 ⇒ Odawara Castle
The total travel distance is approximately 626m, and it takes approximately 2 minutes to get there.
Summary【Odawara Castle】
This time, we introduced the spectacular view seen from the castle tower of the impregnable Odawara Castle in Kanagawa Prefecture. The view from the castle tower of Odawara Castle is spectacular. The reason is that it is located at an altitude of approximately 60m, so there is nothing blocking your view, and you can see far into the distance. On the other hand, you can also see Odawara Castle from the ground. When you visit Kanagawa Prefecture, why not stop by Odawara Castle?
▲Official site
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