On the first day of Golden Week, our family of three with our 8-year-old son took a day trip by train from Tokyo to Odawara to storm two castles. We conquered both Odawara Castle (Japan’s Top 100 Castles), the Hojo clan’s stronghold, and Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle (Continued Top 100 Castles), built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for the siege of Odawara, in a single day. Leaving Tokyo at 7:30 a.m. and departing Odawara at 4 p.m., we packed armor try-ons, scenic sweets and local station melodies into about eight and a half hours — here’s the whole day-trip course in one article.
Key points
- Castles visited: Odawara Castle (Japan’s Top 100 Castles No. 23), Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle (Continued Top 100 Castles No. 126)
- Time needed: about 2.5 hours at Odawara Castle and about 1–1.5 hours at Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle — both are doable as a day trip from Tokyo
- Getting around: Tokaido Line on the way there, a taxi (about ¥300 with an Uber discount) from Odawara Castle to the Ichiya Castle, and the “Umemaru” sightseeing bus back
- Fun for kids: armor try-on (¥500), shuriken throwing, and the scenic swing and soft-serve ice cream at Yoroizuka Farm
- Note: the last sightseeing bus from the Ichiya Castle leaves around 3:30 p.m. — always check the timetable
1. Day-trip schedule
- 7:30 Leave Tokyo Station (box seats on the Tokaido Line)
- 9:00 Arrive at Odawara Station
- 9:30 Odawara Castle (keep, armor try-on, shuriken throwing)
- 12:00 Lunch at “Lea Lea” by the moat
- 12:40 Visit the graves of Hojo Ujimasa and Ujinao
- 13:00 Taxi (Uber) to Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle
- 13:20 Walk the Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle ruins → break at Yoroizuka Farm
- 15:30 “Umemaru” sightseeing bus to Odawara Station
- 15:50 The statue of Hojo Soun in front of the station
- 16:00 Leave Odawara Station (Green Car on the way home)
2. Getting around
Going: deliberately taking the local Tokaido Line
Partly because we hadn’t booked the shinkansen, we deliberately took box seats on the Tokaido Line. Mt. Fuji was clearly visible from the window — a lucky start. Another treat on the Tokaido Line is each station’s “local departure melody”: Southern All Stars’ “Kibo no Wadachi” at Chigasaki, “Oborozukiyo” at Ninomiya and other stations, and “Osaru no Kagoya” at Odawara. My son and I listened closely every time the train stopped.
On the way, the novel about Kuroda Kanbei that my samurai-loving son was reading happened to reach the “siege of Odawara” scene. The place we were heading to and the story connected in real time — a coincidence that had us thrilled in the train.
Odawara Castle → Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle: “buying altitude” with a taxi
The road from the Odawara Castle area up to the Ichiya Castle on the mountain is very steep. We happened to have an Uber discount, so a taxi took us to the top for only about ¥300. On a hot day, we didn’t have to make the family walk.
Returning: the “Umemaru” sightseeing bus and the Green Car
From the Ichiya Castle we took the “Umemaru” sightseeing bus back to Odawara Station. A volunteer guide explained things as we went down the mountain, so the ride was educational too. However, the last bus leaves around 3:30 p.m., so checking the timetable is a must. On the train home we treated ourselves to the Green Car to rest backs worn out by box seats and castle walking.
3. Odawara Castle (Japan’s Top 100 Castles No. 23)
- Time needed: about 2.5 hours (keep, armor try-on, shuriken throwing)
- Stamp: on the first floor of the Odawara Castle keep, near the exit
- Parking: paid lots nearby (arrive early before festivals and other busy times)
- Kids’ activities: armor try-on in the main bailey square (¥500), shuriken throwing
The keep isn’t an original, but the inside is like a museum where you can learn the Hojo clan’s history and the castle’s structure. From the top floor you can see all of Sagami Bay, and even the direction of the Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle we were heading to next. “A castle suddenly appeared on top of that mountain…” — you can imagine the pressure the Hojo side felt.
In the main bailey square we tried on armor. Our son walked around the castle as a samurai, and at shuriken throwing he aimed at the target with concentration worthy of Fuma Kotaro. Note that when the moats are full of water, you can’t see the famous “shoji-bori” (lattice moats) directly.
For more details, see our Odawara Castle article.
Lunch: “Lea Lea” by the moat
For lunch we went to “Lea Lea” by the moat. In the warm atmosphere of a shop run single-handedly by the owner, a coconut-milk chicken curry restored our energy after storming the castle.
Graves of Hojo Ujimasa and Ujinao
After lunch we stopped by the graves of Hojo Ujimasa and Ujinao and quietly put our hands together.
4. Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle (Continued Top 100 Castles No. 126)
- Time needed: about 1–1.5 hours (walking the ruins and a break at Yoroizuka Farm)
- Stamp: near the park entrance, in front of the restrooms (easy to miss!)
- Access: taxi going up, the “Umemaru” sightseeing bus coming back
Built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for the siege of Odawara, it’s known as the first castle in the Kanto region built entirely with stone walls. No buildings remain, but bold “nozura-zumi” rough stone walls survive here and there, conveying the might of the era.
Looking down from here, you can imagine the despair of the Hojo side, watched every single day. Today there are many buildings and spotting Odawara Castle is quite hard, but experiencing “both viewpoints” in one day — looking up from Odawara Castle and down from the Ichiya Castle — is the best part of this course.
A break at Yoroizuka Farm
When fatigue from back-to-back castles started to show, we headed right next door to Yoroizuka Farm. It has a scenic swing overlooking Sagami Bay that even kids who aren’t into history will enjoy. For soft-serve, Dad and son were “milk fans” and my wife a “pudding fan.” We also bought a Mother’s Day gift, and with the ice cream it all came to under ¥10,000.
For more details, see our Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle article.
Finale: the statue of Hojo Soun in front of the station
Back at the station by bus, we went to the statue of Hojo Soun in front of it. At the statue of the “fire-ox strategy” — releasing oxen with torches tied to their horns — our son shouted “That’s a famous strategy!” in excitement.
5. FAQ
Q. Can you visit both Odawara Castle and Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle on a day trip?
A. Yes. We left Tokyo at 7:30 a.m. and departed Odawara at 4 p.m. Plan about 2.5 hours for Odawara Castle and about 1–1.5 hours for the Ichiya Castle.
Q. How do you get from Odawara Castle to Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle?
A. It’s a steep hill, so a taxi is easiest with kids. We used Uber. The “Umemaru” sightseeing bus is handy for the return, but the last bus is around 3:30 p.m., so check the timetable.
Q. Where are the Top 100 Castles stamps?
A. At Odawara Castle it’s on the first floor of the keep near the exit; at Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle it’s near the park entrance in front of the restrooms. The Ichiya Castle stamp is easy to miss, so watch out.
Q. Are there activities kids can enjoy?
A. You can try on armor (¥500) and throw shuriken in Odawara Castle’s main bailey square. At the Ichiya Castle, we recommend Yoroizuka Farm’s scenic swing and soft-serve.
6. Summary
On the train home, our son murmured, “It doesn’t feel like we left today.” Just as he said, with the novel connection, conquering two castles and scenic sweets, it was a day so full it felt like a multi-day trip. The Hojo’s Odawara Castle and Hideyoshi’s Ichiya Castle — experiencing both the attackers’ and defenders’ sides in a single day makes Odawara a perfect castle course for families, reachable as a day trip from Tokyo. We couldn’t see the shoji-bori at Odawara Castle, so next we’d like to visit Yamanaka Castle, where you can see them.
