The Odawara Hōjō Godai Festival is a must-see event held annually in Odawara, a city just an hour outside of Tokyo.
History
The Odawara Hōjō Godai celebrates the legacy of the Hōjō clan, a prominent samurai family that ruled over the region in the 15th century.
What happens?
Almost 2,000 people will parade through the streets of Odawara, emulating the Hōjō lords of the past. There will also be music from brass bands, a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession on May 4 and 5, and a gun show. There will be other fun activities throughout the day.
Schedule
The warrior procession will commence at 1:30 p.m. from Odawara Castle and go south in a circle until around 3:20 p.m. Between 11 a.m. and noon, there will be a gun show (see picture) every 20 minutes.
How to get there
You can get to Odawara via the Romancecar (as if you were going to Hakone) or Odakyu Line from Shinjuku Station. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes on the Romancar and about 20 minutes more on the Odakyu Line.
Odawara Castle is an 8-minute walk from the station.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.- 0.6 km from Odawara Station Tokaido Line (JT1)
