Odawara Castle Ruins Park is located within walking distance of Odawara Station on the JR Tokaido Line, the Odawara-Odakyu Line, the JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line, the Daiyuzan Line, and the Hakone Tozan Line.
Reference information and useful links posted below after the photos.
Japanese Castle
Originally built in the mid-15th century, Odawara Castle was destroyed by an earthquake in 1703 and rebuilt; dismantled in 1870 after the final demise of the Tokugawa shogunate (military government); and was rebuilt in its current form in the 1960s. The current castle keep primarily houses museums and is surrounded by gardens and moats.
Castle Roof-Ridge
Copper-plated mythical creatures called shachihoko (鯱鉾 / lit. killer whale) from Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and body of a carp are often mounted at both ends of a roof-ridge of castles and some shrines to protect the structure from fire since the creature has the “power” to bring rain.
Mythical Creature
Close-up shot of one of the copper-plated shachihoko (鯱鉾 / lit. killer whale) from Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and body of a carp mounted at both ends of the castle roof-ridge.
Japanese Castle
Eastern view of Odawara Castle rising 38.7 m (approx. 126.9 feet) high. Originally built in the mid-15th century, the current form was rebuilt in 1960 using modern earthquake-resistant materials. Design of the current structure resembles models and blueprints from the late Edo Period (1603-1868) with the most recent upgrades completed in 2016.
Vermillion Bridge
Built across the castle moat in 1949, this Manabi-Bashi bridge (east of the castle) affords tourists greater access to the castle park, and gives school children easier access to nearby schools. The arched bridge is aesthetically pleasing and is a popular viewing spot when the cherry trees along the moat are in full bloom.
Wall, Moat, and Turret
Located nearly due east of Odawara Castle (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), this photo shows a moat and stone wall (left), and turret or guard tower (right) near the Umademon Gate (馬出門, lit. horse exit gate) to the castle. Behind the wall is another gate that led to the livery stables of the castle. The moat, gates, and walls were designed to force troops through a zigzag pattern before reaching the keep as a defense measure should the castle come under attack.
Two Castle Gates
Located on the eastern side of Odawara Castle (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan), the Umadashi-mon gate (馬出門) in the foreground leads to a small open square called a masugata (升形), which is enclosed by an earthen and stone wall, and provides access to the Uchikabuki-mon inner gate (内冠木門), which is set at a right angle to the Umadashi-mon gate, and opens to the horse stables.
A castle’s masugata squares have have an outer gate that protects the castle entrance by providing a place to gather cavalry forces out of sight of enemy forces; and with the inner gate and outer gate at right angles, the masugata squares also help slow down attackers by preventing direct entry to the castle. The outer Umadashi-mon gate is 6.3 m (20.6 ft) tall, and the Uchikabuki-mon inner gate is 5.3 m (17.3 ft) tall. Reconstruction of the gate in 2009 by hand using traditional materials and building techniques dating back to at least 1672 cost 500 million yen (4.5 million USD) to complete.
Castle Corner Turret
View of a moat and turret of Odawara Castle (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) located on the eastern side of the castle. The original turret collapsed in the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake (which also reduced major cities such as Tokyo and Yokohama to rubble), and was rebuilt to half its height in 1934. This turret is flanked on both sides with cherry trees, which create a beautiful scene in early spring.
Border Collie at Japanese Castle
Dale-chan the border collie relaxing in front of the Umadashi-mon gate located east of Odawara Castle (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) with a stone moat wall and Akagane-mon Gate in the background.
Labyrinth of Castle Walls
Exterior walls lining the moats at Odawara Castle follow an often-used construction found at many Japanese castles with a stone foundation and earthen upper portion topped of with clay roof tiles. The moats, walls, and gates are designed to create a labyrinth some gates leading to dead ends as a means to hinder invaders. If you look closely, you can see rectangular ya-zama (矢狭間) holes (arrow slits) that were used for shooting arrows, and triangular teppo-zama (鉄砲狭間) holes (gun ports) for shooting with muskets.
Reference Info & Links
Odawara Station:
From Shinjuku:
Odakyu Line: 91 minutes (commuter train)
Odakyu Romance Car: 59 minutes (special express)
From Tokyo Station:
Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen: 33 minutes (bullet train)
Ueno-Tokyo Line & Tōkaidō Line: 77 minutes (commuter train)
Access from Odawara Station (5-minute walk):
The castle is located about 81 km (approx. 50 miles) southwest of central Tokyo (Nihonbashi), and can be reached in less than two hours if you take expressways. If you want to avoid toll road fees, the drive will take 2 to 4 hours depending on traffic.
Parking near castle:
If the castle’s primary parking lot is full, there are many parking lots in the immediate area where you can pay for parking in 60-minute increments (approx. 300 to 400 yen per hour).
Recommended sites for travel, history, and activity information:
Odawara City Official Odawara Castle Website
Odawara Castle: A reconstructed castle at the entrance to Hakone
Odawara Sightseeing Guide: Explore Odawara Castle and the New Ninja Museum
"Odawara Castle" -You can Go there Very Easily from Tokyo!
Explore Odawara: Day Trip to the Castle Town Near Tokyo!
Take a trip to the town overlooked by Odawara Castle
References used in this blog:
小田原城址公園
Guide to Japanese Castles: Odawara Castle
City of Odawara: Odawara Castle, Symbol of Odawara
馬出門
馬屋曲輪
城址公園 (Castle Ruins Park)
隅櫓 (corner turret)
Japanese Castles:
Japanese castle
駿府城
Japanese Castles:
Masugata:
Kabukimon
Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site
Urban Renewal for an Old Castle Town
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