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The keep seen from the honmaru plaza (December 2021): the 1960 reconstruction after its 2016 earthquake-proofing and full repainting.
SuicasmoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Kanagawa · Odawara

Odawara Castle

小田原城

Odawara, Kanagawa

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 21

What makes this castle distinctive

To face Toyotomi Hideyoshi, its lords wrapped the whole town, not just the castle, in 9 km of moats and earthen walls.

Why?

Before their 1590 war with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Hojo, a Warring States clan, built the sogamae: dry moats and earthen ramparts about 9 km around that enclosed both the castle and its town. It brought the castle to its greatest size, and the official site calls it the largest medieval castle in Japan. The keep area you see today was rebuilt with stone walls in the Edo period, but sections of the sogamae's moats and ramparts still survive in the town and on the hills.[3][9][10]

Three things not to miss

01
The keep seen from the honmaru plaza (December 2021): the 1960 reconstruction after its 2016 earthquake-proofing and full repainting.SuicasmoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The 1960 keep and the shrine room on its top floor

Where
The honmaru (main enclosure) plaza. The keep is a museum, with an observation deck on the top floor.
What to look at
The exterior, a three-roofed, four-story keep joined to smaller attached towers, and the fifth-floor recreation of the room where a statue of Marishiten was enshrined.
Why it's interesting
Today's keep is a reinforced-concrete reconstruction completed in 1960. Its exterior was modeled on the Edo-period look using a wooden scale model and plans made when the keep was rebuilt in the Hoei era (early 1700s). During the "Heisei Great Renovation" from July 2015 to April 2016 it was earthquake-proofed and its exhibits completely renewed. Research on the old model showed that Marishiten, a guardian deity of warriors, had been enshrined on the Edo-period keep's top floor, so part of that room was recreated on the fifth floor using local Odawara timber.[1][2][4]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideThe exterior is free to view; entry costs 1,000 yen for adults.
02
The turret gate of Akagane Gate and its stone-walled masugata enclosure (December 2021). It was rebuilt in 1997 using traditional methods.SuicasmoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Akagane Gate, rebuilt with traditional methods

Where
Past the main entrance (Umadashi Gate) and the Umaya-kuruwa enclosure, across Sumiyoshi Bridge: the front gate of the ninomaru (second enclosure).
What to look at
The square masugata enclosure of stone walls that traps attackers, and the copper fittings on the big doors of the turret gate.
Why it's interesting
The gate takes its name from the copper (akagane) fittings on its doors. It was dismantled in 1872, then rebuilt in 1997 using traditional construction methods, based on excavations begun in 1983 and on old photographs and maps. Entering by the main entrance lets you follow the same route to the keep that visitors took in the Edo period.[5][7][11]
Can you see it?
Partly visibleThe exterior and masugata are open at all times. The interior of the gate is open on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 10:00–15:00.
03
The East Trench of Komine Okanenodai Ohorikiri (March 2007): a huge dry moat cut across the ridge by the Hojo before the war with Hideyoshi. You can walk along its floor.monadoCC BY-SA 2.5Wikimedia Commons

Komine Okanenodai Ohorikiri, a giant trench of the outer defenses

Where
On the Hachimanyama hills west of the castle park (around 3-30 Shiroyama, Odawara), where the ridge leading to the main enclosure was cut.
What to look at
The dry moat of the East Trench, about 20–30 m wide and 12 m deep, with slopes as steep as 50 degrees.
Why it's interesting
These dry moats were dug by the Hojo to prepare for war with Hideyoshi, and three of them run side by side: the East, Middle and West trenches. Odawara City describes the East Trench as one of the largest dry moats in Japan. A path lets you walk along the moat floor, and in 2026 the city-owned part of the West Trench also opened to walkers from July 5.[9][10][12]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideFree to walk. The West Trench borders private land, so stay on the city-owned section.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
10 min walk from Odawara Station
Climb
Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate
1.5 to 2 hours for the park and the keep; add about an hour to walk out to the Komine Okanenodai trench.
Admission
Adults (high school and older) 1,000 yen, elementary and junior high students 300 yen, preschoolers free; groups of 30+ 800 / 240 yen. The keep ticket also covers the Tokiwagi Gate SAMURAI hall (prices revised March 1, 2026).
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Access
Open to visitors

The castle park is free to walk around; the keep, SAMURAI hall and NINJA hall charge admission. The park has four entrances: the main entrance (Umadashi Gate, the official Edo-period route), Manabi Bridge, the north entrance and the south entrance. Remains of the outer sogamae defenses are scattered around the city outside the park.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsOdawara Castle (official site, Japanese)Odawara City: Odawara Castle historic site (Japanese)

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

Guarding the Tokaido before Hakone

Odawara lies at the foot of the Hakone mountains, on the Tokaido highway that linked Edo with Kyoto. The castle is thought to have begun as a fort built in the mid-1400s by the Omori family, who had expanded into western Sagami Province, though the details are unclear. In the Edo period it was considered a key defense for the Kanto region, guarding the approach from the Hakone checkpoint.[3][10]

02
Historical record

Home of five generations of the Hojo

Around 1500, Ise Sozui (better known as Hojo Soun) moved into Odawara. Over the next century, five generations of the Hojo clan expanded their power across the Kanto region, and Odawara Castle grew as their headquarters. In the Warring States period the castle was defended not by stone walls but by earthen ramparts, dry moats and water moats.[3][10]

03
Historical record

The sogamae and the 1590 siege

Preparing for Hideyoshi's attack, the Hojo built the sogamae, defenses about 9 km around that took in the whole castle town. In 1590 Hideyoshi surrounded Odawara, even building a castle on nearby Mount Ishigaki overlooking it (the so-called "one-night castle"). The Hojo surrendered and their clan came to an end, which the official site describes as the close of the Warring States period.[3][9][10]

04
Historical record

Rebuilt in stone in the Edo period

After the Hojo fell, the Okubo family, retainers of Tokugawa Ieyasu, became lords, and the castle was reduced to the area inside the third enclosure. When Inaba Masakatsu took over in 1632, major rebuilding began: stone walls were raised around the main enclosures (kuruwa), turning it into an Edo-period castle. The Okubo family later returned and ruled until the end of the shogunate.[3][10]

05
Historical record

Abandonment and the Great Kanto Earthquake

The castle was decommissioned in 1870, and by 1872 the keep, gates, turrets and most other buildings had been dismantled. In 1901 an imperial villa was built in the second enclosure, but the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 brought down the villa and almost all the stone walls, and the Edo-period castle was lost. Most of the stone walls in the park today were rebuilt after the earthquake.[3][10]

06
Historical record

A rebuilt keep and restored gates

A corner turret was rebuilt in 1934, and in May 1960, 90 years after the castle was abandoned, the keep was rebuilt. A "one roof tile" campaign collected donations from residents. Tokiwagi Gate followed in 1971, Akagane Gate in 1997 and Umadashi Gate in 2009, and the keep was earthquake-proofed and its exhibits renewed in 2015–2016. Since 1983 the city has been restoring the site toward its late Edo-period appearance based on excavations and other research, and it is now working on the Goyomai-kuruwa enclosure.[1][2][3][10]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. around

    Ise Sozui (Hojo Soun) moves into Odawara[3]

  2. The Hojo fall to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's siege[3]

  3. Inaba Masakatsu becomes lord; major rebuilding with stone walls begins[10]

  4. Decommissioned; most buildings dismantled by 1872[3]

  5. The Great Kanto Earthquake topples almost all the stone walls[3][10]

  6. The keep is rebuilt in reinforced concrete[1][3]

  7. The "Heisei Great Renovation" (July 2015 – April 2016) adds earthquake reinforcement and new exhibits[2]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Modern reconstruction

Rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1960, described as a "reconstruction" (fukko) by both the castle and the Japan Castle Foundation. The exterior follows the Edo-period look based on a Hoei-era model and plans, but the railed balcony around the top floor was added new in 1960. Three roofs and four stories, 38.7 m tall. From July 2015 to April 2016 it was earthquake-proofed, its roof and walls repaired and fully repainted, air conditioning installed, and its exhibits renewed.

The site today

The main and second enclosures form Odawara Castle Park, with a rebuilt keep and restored gates including Tokiwagi, Akagane and Umadashi. At its peak the castle covered about 400 hectares; about 30 hectares are now a National Historic Site, and sections of the outer sogamae defenses survive around the city.

Main buildings

Modern reconstruction

Keep (tenshu)

Rebuilt 1960 in reinforced concrete; earthquake-proofed in 2016. Now a museum.[1][2]

Rebuilt in wood

Akagane Gate

Dismantled in 1872; rebuilt in 1997 with traditional methods based on excavation, old photos and maps. Interior open on weekends and holidays.[5][11]

Modern reconstruction

Tokiwagi Gate

The main gate of the honmaru, rebuilt in 1971 for the city's 30th anniversary. The upper floor is the SAMURAI exhibition hall.[6]

Not confirmed

Umadashi Gate

Masugata-style gate at the front of the second enclosure, restored in 2009 (construction method not confirmed officially).[7][3]

Modern reconstruction

Ninomaru corner turret

Rebuilt in 1934.[3]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Hilltop castle (hirayamajiro)built on a low hill rising from the plainEditorial article
Period
Medieval (c.1185–1570s), Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Modern reconstructiona keep rebuilt in the 20th century or later; shape or position may differ from the originalEditorial article
Built by
Ōmori clan, Ōmori YoriharuJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1417Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Ōmori clan, Later Hōjō clan, Ōkubo clan, Inaba clan, Ise clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Stone walls, Earthen ramparts, Moats, Trench cuts (horikiri), Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Fortified gateways (koguchi), Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
National Historic Site (Odawara Castle ruins; parts of the second and third enclosures in 1938, the main enclosure and the rest of the second in 1959) (1938)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 21Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

The castle park is free to walk around; the keep, SAMURAI hall and NINJA hall charge admission. The park has four entrances: the main entrance (Umadashi Gate, the official Edo-period route), Manabi Bridge, the north entrance and the south entrance. Remains of the outer sogamae defenses are scattered around the city outside the park.

Address

6-1 Jonai, Odawara, Kanagawa (the keep)[2]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

Odawara StationJR Tokaido Shinkansen and Tokaido Line, Odakyu Line, Hakone Tozan Railway, Izuhakone Daiyuzan Line

about 10 min walk · Some climbing

About 10 minutes on foot. The closest gate to the station is the north entrance (turn right at Asahigaoka High School on Oshiro-dori), and from there you can reach the honmaru plaza without stairs. The official castle route enters at Umadashi Gate from Ohoribata-dori and continues through Umaya-kuruwa, Sumiyoshi Bridge, Akagane Gate and Tokiwagi Gate to the main enclosure.[8]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Odawara Castle Keep
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
Second Wednesday of December (maintenance), December 31 – January 1
Admission
Adults (high school and older) 1,000 yen, elementary and junior high students 300 yen, preschoolers free; groups of 30+ 800 / 240 yen. The keep ticket also covers the Tokiwagi Gate SAMURAI hall (prices revised March 1, 2026).[1][14][15]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Odawara Castle NINJA Hall
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed
December 31 – January 1
Admission
Adults 500 yen, elementary and junior high students 200 yen[14]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

The castle park has no general parking; use the paid car parks nearby. The Fujidana lot inside the park is only for tour buses, vehicles of disabled visitors and motorcycles. Roads are very congested on weekends and holidays, so public transport is recommended.[8]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Not confirmed (the keep is lit up daily from sunset to 21:00)[16]Checked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
1.5 to 2 hours for the park and the keep; add about an hour to walk out to the Komine Okanenodai trench.
Steps, slopes and footing
The main enclosure sits on raised ground. The north entrance, or the south entrance turning left at the local history museum, leads to the honmaru plaza without stairs.[8]
Wheelchairs and strollers
The north entrance route and the south entrance route past the local history museum reach the honmaru plaza without stairs. The 2016 renovation added a multipurpose restroom (with baby-care and ostomate facilities) to the keep. Whether the keep has an elevator is not confirmed.[8][2]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Multipurpose restroom in the keep; other locations in the park not confirmed.[2]
English signs / audio guide
The "Odawara Castle exhibition guide" app gives audio commentary on the keep's displays (languages not confirmed). Free Wi-Fi is available inside.[17][2]
Seasons
The park has cherry blossoms, wisteria, irises and plum trees; the Gyokan-no-Fuji wisteria by the south entrance blooms around Golden Week (early May). There are also trees over 500 years old. The keep is lit up every day from sunset to 21:00.[4][8][16]
Photography
Not confirmed (there is guidance for anyone planning a shoot or event in the park).
Works, closures and restrictions
On weekends and holidays from September 26 to October 18, 2026 (nine days), the keep stays open until 18:00 (last entry 17:30). On some days in October and November the keep is lit in special colors for awareness campaigns.[18][16]Checked: 2026-10-03

Suggested routes

To the keep by the official Edo-period route 90 min

  1. From Odawara Station walk to Ohoribata-dori, pass Manabi Bridge without crossing it, and continue to Umadashi Gate at the main entrance
  2. Go through Umadashi Gate into the Umaya-kuruwa enclosure
  3. Cross Sumiyoshi Bridge into the masugata of Akagane Gate (on weekends and holidays you can also go inside the gate)
  4. Pass through Tokiwagi Gate into the honmaru plaza
  5. Tour the keep's exhibits, then see the Marishiten room on the fifth floor and the observation deck
  6. Leave by the north entrance, the closest to the station

The route follows the official site's "official castle route." The time is an editorial estimate including a visit to the keep.

Around the castle

Castle town

Hayakawaguchi and Renjoin earthworks (sogamae)

Rare surviving earthworks of the sogamae on low ground. Hayakawaguchi (4-4 Minamicho) has a doubled rampart-and-moat layout; the Renjoin rampart (2-1-51 Hamacho) still bears damage from a bomb dropped in the 1945 air raid on Odawara.[9]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Editors' guide

An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.

Who will enjoy it

Good for anyone who wants an easy walk from the station to a castle with a keep, and for fans of the Warring States period, the Hojo clan and the 1590 siege. If you like earthwork castles, head out to the sogamae beyond the park to feel how vast Odawara was in the 1500s.

What makes it interesting

Passing in turn through Umadashi, Akagane and Tokiwagi gates from the main entrance shows how the Edo-period defenses were layered. In the keep, see the Marishiten room on the fifth floor and the view over Sagami Bay from the top. With more time, walk the floor of the Hojo's huge trench at Komine Okanenodai.

Before you go

Today's keep is a 1960 concrete reconstruction that was earthquake-proofed and given new exhibits in 2016. Its exterior is based on an Edo-period model, but the railed balcony around the top floor was added in 1960. Most of the park's stone walls were rebuilt after the 1923 earthquake. Roads are busy on weekends and holidays, so come by train.

Ways to enjoy it

Visit on a weekend or holiday to go inside Akagane Gate. At Tokiwagi Gate you can try on samurai armor (500 yen per person). After dark, the keep is lit up.

Photos

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Open questions

Sources

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Listing status

  1. Candidate foundChecked
  2. Confirmed as a castle siteChecked
  3. Basic informationChecked
  4. In-depth articleChecked
  5. Photo rights checkedChecked
  6. Visit info checkedChecked

Castles nearby

Odawara Castle Park0.1 km · Not yet confirmedIshigakiyama Castle2.9 km · Not yet confirmedTakanosu Castle9.4 km · No keep recordedArai Castle Ruins Park10.9 km · Not yet confirmedKawamura Castle13.6 km · Not yet confirmedKoiso Castle13.8 km · Not yet confirmed

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