Odawara Castle, Japanese castle in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Odawara Castle is a Japanese castle in Kanagawa Prefecture, built on a hill above the city of the same name. Its white-plastered walls with dark tiled roofs stand among trees, and a gate with a tiled gable roof opens through a wall set on grey stone blocks behind a stone-lined moat. The three-tiered, five-storied donjon rebuilt in 1960 has an observation floor at the top.
The Hojo family expanded the site in the 15th century into one of the largest castles in eastern Japan and defended it until the siege by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590. After the Meiji Restoration the castle was demolished, but the current reconstruction was completed in 1960.
The name Odawara is not explained by the sources; the castle is known as the stronghold of the Hōjō clan, whose five generations improved and expanded it as the centre of their domains. The phrase "Odawara hyōjō" (Odawara council) comes from the 1590 siege, when the defenders debated surrender versus resistance without reaching a decision. Visitors can see the reconstructed Tokiwagi Gate (1971), Akagane Gate (1997) and Umadashi Gate (2009).
Visitors reach the site on foot from Odawara Station in about ten minutes and find exhibitions on several floors. The stairs inside are narrow and steep, so comfortable footwear is recommended.
The reconstruction used concrete instead of wood, which was hotly debated in Japan at the time and later led to a rethinking of how to rebuild other castles. Despite the modern material, the details of the roof tiles and wooden cladding show careful craftsmanship.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,121 contributors worldwide.
