Odawara Castle, a Local Fish Market, and the Gateway to Hakone

Odawara Castle, a Local Fish Market, and the Gateway to Hakone

From Tokyo Station, the JR Tokaido Shinkansen reaches Odawara in 35 minutes on a Kodama or Hikari service. The one way unreserved fare is approximately ¥3,540 (check JR East for the exact rate). The building you arrive at is the same one you use to transfer to the Hakone Tozan Railway. Your first decision is whether to stay or transfer. Getting here without a car works, as long as you plan around the one useful bus. Here is what is worth seeing in Odawara itself when you are passing through to Hakone.

Odawara works as a half day stop. It is not worth a full day as a sole destination. The best use of your time is a morning at the castle and fish market, then onward to Hakone Yumoto by 14:00. Coming from Shinjuku on Odakyu, the Rapid Express takes 90 minutes and costs ¥890. The Romancecar takes 73 minutes plus a ¥1,200 surcharge (2024 rate, verified at Odakyu counters). The Hakone Freepass covers the Rapid Express round trip and all Hakone transport but charges the Romancecar surcharge each way. If you have a JR TOKYO Wide Pass (¥15,000 for 3 days, 2024 rate, verified at JR East ticket offices), the Shinkansen segment is covered.

The Castle and the View

Inside the Keep

Odawara Castle is a 10 minute walk from the arrival point. The original structure dates to 1447 under the Omori clan. The Hojo clan ruled from 1495 to 1590, expanding their territory across most of Kanto before Toyotomi Hideyoshi's siege ended their rule in 1590. The current keep is a 1960 concrete reconstruction housing the Odawara Castle History Museum. Inside you find armor, swords, and documents of the Hojo clan.

Take the elevator to the top floor. The observation deck gives a view across Sagami Bay. On clear days you see the Izu Peninsula and Hakone mountains. The grounds include the Ninomaru Plaza, Tokiwagi Gate, and moats. Budget 45 minutes for the museum loop and the view. Arrive by 09:00 to avoid the school group rush that starts around 10:30 on weekdays.

Lunch at the Fish Market

The Market and the Bowl

The Odawara Fish Market (Odawara Sakana Ichiba) is a 5 minute walk from the east exit, not the castle side. It operates 09:00 to 17:00, closed Wednesdays and some irregular days. Do not confuse it with Toyosu or Tsukiji. This is a small local market with a handful of stalls and casual restaurants. The target is a kaisendon, a bowl of raw fish over rice, priced between ¥1,500 and ¥2,500 depending on the catch. The market is quieter than Tokyo equivalents. That is its advantage. If the market is closed for a Wednesday in your itinerary, skip it and eat at the restaurant floor inside the arrival building instead.

Walk from the castle to the market takes 15 minutes. From the market to the Suzuhiro Kamaboko Museum is another 15 minute walk, or take the free shuttle bus. The museum is free to enter, open 09:00 to 17:00. The hands on kamaboko making class costs ¥1,500 and requires a reservation. Skip the class if you are on the half day schedule. Browse the shop for fresh fish cakes to eat as a snack.

The Route That Avoids Doubling Back

The Half Day Sequence

The recommended half day sequence is: arrival point to Castle (10 minute walk), Castle to Fish Market (15 minute walk), Fish Market to Kamaboko Museum (15 minute walk or free shuttle), Kamaboko Museum to Odawara Coast (bus), Coast to arrival point (bus). The coast is 2 km away, a 25 minute walk or a short bus ride. Miyukinohama Beach and the Odawara Blue Way pedestrian bridge are the seafront landmarks. If you are heading to Hakone after lunch, skip the coast. The sequence that ends back at the departure point for the 15 minute Hakone Tozan ride to Hakone Yumoto is more practical.

Souvenirs to Carry

Old town shops near the castle sell umeboshi, the pickled plums, as a takeaway souvenir. The Kamaboko Museum also stocks local specialty fish cakes. Do not buy umeboshi before the fish market. You carry everything through the rest of the route.

When the Normal Route is Blocked

If the fish market is closed (Wednesday) or you arrive after 17:00, the arrival building has a restaurant floor with sushi and local seafood bowls. If the castle museum queue is over 20 minutes, walk the grounds and skip the keep interior. The view from outside is what matters. If the Kamaboko Museum shuttle is not running, the 15 minute walk is flat and straightforward. If the coast bus is delayed, walk 25 minutes from the Kamaboko Museum to the beach.

The Failure Case

The single thing that most often goes wrong on this itinerary is the train transfer back to Tokyo. The last bullet train from Odawara to Tokyo departs at 22:14 (Kodama 722, check the JR timetable for the day of travel). The last Odakyu Rapid Express from Odawara to Shinjuku departs at 23:05 (check Odakyu's timetable, which is revised annually). Miss these and you face a taxi from Odawara to Hakone Yumoto for an overpriced hotel or a very expensive taxi to a nearby stop with later service. Set a 21:45 alarm if you are in a restaurant near the coast.

An Honest Caveat

Odawara is a break in the journey, not a destination that competes with Hakone or Tokyo. The castle is a reconstruction. The fish market is small. The coast is a local beach, not a resort. This is a half day plan for travellers who want to break up the trip to Hakone and see something with its own character rather than coast through a transfer stop. If you have limited time, skip Odawara and go straight to Hakone. If you have a spare morning and want to eat a kaisendon at a quiet market counter, this is your stop.