Power Spot Odawara castle

 

Odawara castle

Last year in October 2024, after 12 years, I visited Odawara again. I was visiting my friend, whose hometown is this beautiful city in Kanagawa.

Grok said the following:

Odawara, a coastal city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is a gem for travelers seeking history, culture, and natural beauty.

Odawara is renowned for kamaboko (fish paste), umeboshi (pickled plums), and fresh seafood from Sagami Bay.

Nestled between the Hakone Mountains and Sagami Bay, Odawara boasts scenic shores and clean waters, home to over 1,700 fish species. 

I've used the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and it took around 90 minutes to get to my destination. It was slow but cheap! Only 1100 yen was deducted from my suica card.

It was lunchtime when I put foot on Odawara, so we went to GoGo Curry first.

Love their logo. It's a female Gorilla called Goriko

Walking through the city, I've noticed that I almost forgot everything about it. In my mind was a red bridge, but there wasn't. It was a bit confusing.


I've ordered the normal Curry, not too spicy, and it was yummy.

After gaining power to walk to the castle, I've noticed those retro signs. Very lovely. Makes the town even more charming.

On our way, I spotted several bridges, but none matched the one from my memories.

At the castle, we crossed a striking red bridge, could that have been it? I’m still unsure.

Admission for the castle is 510 yen and the castle is open from 9 am to 5 pm.

There’s a wealth of history to explore, making it a must-visit for history enthusiasts. I've learned about the Hojo clan, the war, how the castle got destroyed and that there was a Zoo at the castle. 

My favourite was the highest part of the castle, you can get outside and enjoy the view.

I've lost most of my photos, so enjoy the photo I've found on wikipedia instead.

And that's where the magic happened, the power spot ☝I wanted to meet my friends from Shizuoka, but they haven't contacted me yet. I've yelled (quietly)  their names and that I want to meet them. 1 week later, I've met them. Not only once but three times. Thank you Odawara castle!

It was a great day trip. If you want to stay longer, I would recommend visiting from September to November. The hotels are cheaper around that time. Or you could continue the journey to Hakone and relax at Yunessun.  There is the Hakone Freepass which is valid for 2 days and got unlimited rides on eight modes of transportation for 6100 yen (adults).

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