There are many castle towns throughout Japan, but the most famous castle town in Kanagawa Prefecture is Odawara.
In recent years, Odawara has been undergoing redevelopment while retaining its castle town atmosphere, and has appeared in many travel shows and TV dramas as a filming location, making the town very active with both residents and tourists.
Let’s explore the castle town, Odawara in a relaxed manner on a RITEWAY cross bike.

Let’s Ride from Odawara Station! To Odawara Castle associated with Hojo clan

The ride starts from Odawara Station. Odawara Station is served by six lines – Tokaido Line, Gotemba Line, Odakyu Line, Daiyuzan Line, Hakone Tozan Railway, and Tokaido Shinkansen Line, making for a constant flow of people from east to west.
It takes only about 33 minutes from Tokyo Station by Shinkansen Kodama and about 75 minutes from Shinjuku Station by the limited express Romance Car, so it is easy to get to by train. If you do not bring your own bicycle, you can rent  a “Gururin Odawara” bicycle at Odawara Station East exit parking lot.

The famous giant Odawara lantern that hangs over the gates of Tokaido Line is the symbol of the station.
After gathering information at the tourist information center across from the lantern, let’s head for Odawara Castle from East exit.

The major way to reach Odawara Castle Tower on foot is to climb the stone steps from Manabibashi Bridge on the south side, but if you are with a bicycle, I recommend using the north entrance. You can reach the castle tower while pushing your bicycle up the slope.

Odawara Castle is associated with Hojo clan, which expanded its power in Kanto region for about 100 years over five generations after Ise Sozui (later Hojo Soun) moved into Odawara at the end of the 15th century.
In 1590, Hashiba Hideyoshi, famous for his “Mt.Ishigaki Overnight Castle,” attacked Odawara and destroyed Hojo clan, but the castle tower has been repeatedly abandoned, rebuilt, and reconstructed to this day.
In April 2016, the castle tower museum underwent a “A Great Renovation in the Heisei Era” and the exhibits in the museum were substantially renewed. Visitors can learn about the history of Hojo clan and Odawara with the help of videos and a variety of other materials. Visitors can also enjoy the seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms, wisteria, hydrangea, iris, and plum blossoms in the castle ruins park and moat.

Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine : The Original Statue of Kinjiro Ninomiya

One place to visit in conjunction with Odawara Castle is Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine, located on the castle grounds.
As you pass through the torii gate, what catches your eye is the statue of Kinjiro Ninomiya. If you grew up in Japan, I’m sure that there was a statue of Kinjiro at your school when you were a child.

The deity of Ninomiya Shrine is Sontoku Ninomiya, as known as Kinjiro Ninomiya.
The shrine is named after Sontoku Ninomiya, who was born in Kayama Village, Sagami Province (present-day Kayama, Odawara City), to a farmer.
During his lifetime, Sontoku achieved great success in rebuilding the finances of feudal lords and bannermen, helping their subjects, and carrying out comprehensive reconstruction projects in the farming villages of various clans from northern Kanto region to Tohoku region.
In 1894, Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine was established by the consensus of Houtoku Shrines in six countries (Izu, Mikawa, Omi, Suruga, Kai, and Sagami) that admired the teachings of Sontoku.

Visitors can pick up omikuji (fortune) and amulets with motifs of Sontoku Ninomiya at the awarding office, or take a break with an Italian coffee at Kinjiro Café on the shrine’s premises.

If you have time to spare, Seikantei, located across the road from Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine, is another must-see spot.
The entrance is steep, but there is a bike rack at the top of the hill.

Seikantei is a two-story residence in the sukiya style built in 1906 as a villa of Marquis Nagashigei Kuroda, who was active in the Meiji era (free admission).
From the first floor of the main house, visitors can enjoy a coffee overlooking Sagami Bay and Manazuru Peninsula, and enjoy paintings and ceramics by local artists, which are displayed and sold seasonally.

※Seikantei was closed to the public on March 31, 2022, to be reopened later as a restaurant.

Enjoy Famous and Tasty Fried Horse Mackerel at Hakoneguchi Garage

When you are hungry after visiting historical sites, head out to National Route 1, which is also familiar to visitors to Hakone Ekiden (New year long-distance relay race by universities in Kanto area).
Then you will see a magnificent building that makes you think, “Here is another castle!”

In fact, this is not a castle, but the main store of Uiro.
“Uiro” is a well-known specialty Japanese sweets of Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), but its birthplace is Odawara. It became known as “Uiro” when Uiro family, which manufactured and sold medicines, gained a reputation for their sweets for entertaining guests.

About one minute across the road from Uiro store is “Hakoneguchi Garage Hotoku Ninomiya Plaza.”

It is a facility that houses a flower shop, a patisserie, and a restaurant operated by Hotoku Kaikan, the same company that operates the earlier Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine, and is marked by a mini statue of Kinjiro and a pop-up streetcar with a blue body and yellow coloring. The tram is called “MOHA No. 202,” which used to run here. It is also possible to see the inside of the car. It seems that many railroad fans come here to see MOHA No. 202.

I ordered “Local Fish Mix Fried Plate.”
This plate allows you to enjoy both Odawara’s famous fried horse mackerel and local fish, which changes depending on the day’s catch. It was served with fresh lemon and special sauce.

Enjoy the View of Sagami Bay at Miyuki-no-hama Beach

The view of Sagami Bay from Odawara Castle’s tower or Seikantei is nice, but after lunch, let’s ride slowly to the sea.
From Hakoneguchi Garage Hotoku Ninomiya Plaza, head south for 500m to Miyuki-no-hama Beach. Although the entrance to the beach has stairs, once you reach the sea, you will be able to enjoy a spectacular view of Sagami Bay, which has been used as a filming location for a TV drama.

Incidentally, the name “Miyuki-no-Hama” (The beach of the emperor) comes from the fact that in the summer of 1873, when the Emperor and Empress Meiji came to Hakone for a summer vacation, they stopped by this beach and watched local fishermen seine the beach.

You can enjoy a leisurely view of the ocean, or aim at the waves crashing against the breakwater for a powerful shot, but I also recommend buying a colorful pão de queijo at the nearby “grit”, a pão de queijo specialty store and enjoying it by the sea.

The area is also dotted with cultural spots such as “Former Residence of Gokichi Matsumoto,” which also has a tea ceremony room, and Odawara Literature Museum, which exhibits materials of literary figures associated with Odawara, including Hakushu Kitahara and Ango Sakaguchi.
The mild climate of Odawara attracted many political and business figures as well as literary figures.  They love to live and worked in Odawara during and after the Meiji period.

Castle Town Sweets at SHIROMACHI CAFE

After enjoying the ocean at Miyuki-no-hama Beach, let’s go back to the city.
At the former Odawara-shuku of Tokaido Highway, one street before the road from the sea to National Route 1, there is “Kamaboko Street” lined with long-established kamaboko (fish cake) stores. Some of the stores have bike racks, so you can leave your bicycle behind and enjoy a freshly roasted jinenjo(Japanese yam) stick at the storefront to lift your travel spirits.

Odawara-shuku Nariwai Koryukan, located at the entrance of Kamaboko Street, is marked by weeping willows and offers a free rest area as well as seasonal displays such as Japanese traditional dolls.

Located across National Route1, on Ohoribata-dori avenue that passes through Odawara Castle’s moat and Manabibashi Bridge, SHIROMACHI CAFE is the perfect place to stop by on your way to stroll around the castle town.
It serves lunch using Odawara local ingredients as well as Japanese sweets such as “warabimochi” or “anmitsu”, and is crowded with people of all ages.

On this day, I had the “Shiromachi Masu Tiramisu with Green Tea Mascarpone and Green Tea Ice Cream.”
The Tiramisu in a Masu bowl was decorated with a plum blossom, Odawara’s city flower and also the emblem of the city, on its surface, and was both visually and deliciously satisfying.

From SHIROMACHI CAFE, continue along Ohoribata-dori avenue to Oshiro-dori avenue for 300m and you will return to Odawara Station. Don’t forget to buy souvenirs at Minaka Odawara complex in front of the station, which opened in December 2020, or at Ekimae-dori Shopping Street.
You will find a wide variety of stores, both old and new, including Odawara’s specialty pickled plums, dried local fish caught at Odawara fishing port, fish cakes. Uiro Ekimae Pharmacy, a branch of the earlier “Uiro” shop is also worth visiting.

Stay Overnight for a More Relaxed Odawara Experience!

Of course, a one-day ride is enjoyable enough, but to fully appreciate Odawara’s castle town, with its many sights and tastes, a two-day and one-night trip is highly recommended. If you are confident in your legs, you can combine the ride with the Hakone hill climbing before or after the Odawara castle town cycling.

RYOKAN PLUM : Renovated Traditional Japanese Inn Welcoming Cyclists

If you are planning to stay in Odawara, RYOKAN PLUM is highly recommended. It is a traditional Japanese inn welcoming cyclists, located 650m from the east exit of Odawara Station.

RYOKAN PLUM opened in 2020, renovated from an old private house built in 1922 as a private home for the founding family of a local gas company.
The interior design and furnishings with a modern Japanese taste, created by local artists and designers, create a stylish and relaxing atmosphere, making the inn popular among foreign tourists. The western-style room on the first floor can accommodate up to 8 people. Bicycles can be brought into the rooms if they are disassembled and packed, so you can spend the night of your trip with your bike with peace of mind.

Three Pints : Pub Run by a Former Bike Messenger

Enjoying a drink is also a unique feature of overnight bicycle trips. The pub “Three Pints”, located on the first floor of RYOKAN PLUM, is run by a young owner who is a former bike messenger.


The owner himself carefully pours what he thinks is truly delicious after comparing local beers from Japan and around the world. The original craft beer “Three Pints Bitter” is also a popular drink.
The bar is a place where tourists and local residents alike, regardless of nationality, visit and socialize over beer. It is a great place to talk about bicycles with the owner and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime encounters with other guests.

Also located near the station is Odawara Ohoribata Manyo-no-Yu (Japanese style spa) , which uses Yugawara’s natural hot spring water and is a great place to unwind after a day of cycling.

At Minaka Odawara, introduced earlier, you can enjoy “Odawara oden”, which uses Odawara’s specialty fish paste, and “Oyakodon”, a bowl of rice topped with chicken and eggs from Shonan region, so there is no shortage of gourmet meals for dinner.
Whether you are planning a day trip or an overnight stay, you will enjoy Odawara no matter how many times you visit.

Course Introduction

▼Rent a Bike: Gurururin Odawara
https://www.city.odawara.kanagawa.jp/kanko/machimeguri/gururin.html

▼Odawara City Tourism Association
https://www.discoverjapan.guide/explore-japanese-castle-and-ninja-culture/

▼Odawara Castle
https://odawaracastle.com/

▼Hakone-guchi Garage Houtoku Plaza
https://www.hotoku.co.jp/hakone-guchi-garage/

▼Ryokan Plum
https://ryokanplum.jp/en/

▼Three Pints
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Bar/Three-Pints-105896484107807/

Summary

Odawara is a town where old and new coexist. While retaining the atmosphere of a castle town with Odawara Castle at its center, the city is evolving daily as public facilities are being rebuilt and complexes are opening one after another in recent years in a way that blends in with the cityscape. It has been making Odawara a popular destination to move to for people from the outside of the city or the prefecture. This article introduces only a small portion of Odawara’s many attractions.
Please visit Odawara with your own feet and a bike, and discover the old and new charms of Odawara.