Odawara, Kanagawa

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**Odawara**
**小田原市**
Odawara's location in Kanagawa, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Kanagawa
Physical characteristics
Area	114.09 km² (44.05 sq mi)
Population (as of May 2008)
Total	198,717
Density	1,740 /km² (4,507 /sq mi)
Location	35°15′53″N, 139°09′08″E
Symbols
Tree	Japanese Black Pine
Flower	Ume
Bird	Little Tern
Fish	Medaka and Carangidae
Flag
Odawara Government Office
Mayor	Kenichi Kato
Address	〒250-8555 300 Ogikubo, Odawara-shi, Kanagawa-ken
Phone number	0465-33-1302
Official website: Odawara City

Odawara Castle

Odawara-juku in the 1830s, as depicted by Hiroshige in The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō.

Odawara (小田原市, Odawara-shi^?) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. The city was founded on December 20, 1940. Odawara has had a sister city relationship with Chula Vista, CA for over 25 years. Odawara also has an active friendship with Manly, New South Wales in Australia, which includes an annual mutual student exchange program for secondary school students.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 198,717 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² (4,506 persons per square mile). The total area is 114.09 km² (44 square miles).

1 History
2 Area attractions
3 Transportation
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

Odawara-juku's strategic location on the Tōkaidō, between mountainous Hakone and Sagami Bay, has given it a key role in Japanese history. Prior to the Edo period, Odawara Castle was the stronghold of the Late Hōjō clan warriors. During the Edo, its castle controlled the Tōkaidō between the Tokugawa headquarters at Edo and the stations west of Hakone, including Sumpu, Hamamatsu and Nagoya. Today, a reproduction of the castle stands high on a hill above the city.

The epicenter of the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923 was deep beneath Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kantō region. Ninety percent of the buildings in Odawara collapsed immediately, and fires burned the rubble along with anything else left standing.^[1]

On August 15, 1945, Odawara was the last city in Japan to be bombed by Allied aircraft.

[edit] Area attractions

Besides Odawara Castle, this area is a major transit point for the Hakone hot springs resort area.

Enoura, a coastal district in Odawara known for its pristine sea, has an abundance of kumamomi, a type of fish which prefers clear and clean water. Sea turtles are also sometimes present there. Because of the clear water and plentiful undersea life, many people come to Enoura for diving.

The area of Odawara around Kamonomiya Station, has restaurants, stores, and the only movie theatres in the city.(link below)