Odawara castle

小田原城 odawara-jô

Japanese castle / japanische Burg

Odawara City

It is said to have originally been the residence of a powerful clan in Sagami province in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). In 1416 ÔMORI Yoriharu became lord of the castle. However his son Fujiyori was succeeded by HÔJÔ Sōun of Izu province in 1495. Thereafter four generations of the later HÔJÔ were lords of the castle and took possession of parts of the Kantō Plain. In 1590 they had to surrender the troops of TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi after a two-month siege. In the Edo period (1603-1868) Odawara provided one of the 53 postal stations on the Tôkaidô. With the end of feudalism, the main tower was completely destroyed in 1870. It was not until 1960 that the entire castle complex was restored.