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Soga Plum Grove & Odawara Castle: An Ume Village Overlooking Mt. Fuji and a Castle Town
Soga Plum Grove, where around 35,000 ume trees bloom against the backdrop of Mt. Fuji and the Hakone mountains, and Odawara Castle, just a 10-minute walk from Odawara Station. A one-day itinerary starting from Odawara Station.
Odawara is home to Soga Plum Grove, where ume blossoms frame views of Mt. Fuji, and Odawara Castle, easily reached on foot from the station. Both can be explored in a single trip starting from Odawara Station. Prices, operating hours, and access details are based on official website information verified in October 2026. Details may vary by year, so please check official websites before your trip.
Soga Plum Grove: An Ume Village of Around 35,000 Trees
- Soga Plum Grove: Made up of several groves including Bessho and Nakagawara, featuring approximately 35,000 blooming ume trees set against Mt. Fuji and the Hakone mountain range. Varieties include Juro, Shirakaga, Nanko, and weeping ume (shidare-ume). Peak bloom is typically from early to late February.
- Access: About a 20-minute walk from Shimo-Soga Station on the JR Gotemba Line. Alternatively, take a Fujikyu Mobility bus from Odawara Station, JR Kozu Station, or Odakyu Line Shin-Matsuda Station, getting off between "Nakagawara Bairin" and "Shimo-Bessho."
- Admission to the Odawara Ume Festival grounds (held from February 7 to March 1 in 2026) is free. By car: on weekends and holidays during the festival, a temporary car park is set up north of Kamifunaka Park, with a free shuttle bus to the grounds. The tourism association's page gives the parking fee both as paid and as free, so check the Soga Bessho Ume Festival site before you go.
Odawara Castle: A Castle Within Walking Distance of the Station
- A 10-minute walk from Odawara Station. The castle park does not have general parking, so use nearby paid parking lots.
- The Castle Keep (Tenshukaku) is open 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:30). Closed on the second Wednesday of December and from December 31 to January 1.
- Castle Keep admission is ¥1,000 for adults and ¥300 for elementary and junior high school students, which also includes entry to the Tokiwagi Gate SAMURAI Hall.
- At the Tokiwagi Gate in the Honmaru Square, samurai armor dress-up experiences are also available (¥500 per person, 9:30–16:00, last rental at 15:30).
Sample One-Day Itinerary
Stroll through Soga Plum Grove in the morning, return to Odawara Station by bus, and explore Odawara Castle in the afternoon. Since last entry to the Castle Keep is at 16:30, visiting the plum grove in the morning is recommended. Check the current season's blooming progress on our Bloom Report. Nearby accommodations for each destination are also introduced on this page.
