That's the adult Tenshukaku keep ticket, which also admits SAMURAI-kan; NINJA-kan is a separate ticket at about ¥500, and meals at Daruma Ryoriten are extra.
Getting to the start
Odawara Station (JR East, JR Central, Odakyu, and Daiyuzan lines) is about a 10-minute walk from Odawara Castle and about a 7-minute walk from Daruma Ryoriten.
Best time to go
The castle grounds include a wisteria trellis near one of its gates that blooms during Golden Week, Japan's run of public holidays in early May.
Closing days
The Tenshukaku keep closes the second Wednesday of December and Dec. 31-Jan. 1; the SAMURAI-kan and NINJA-kan halls close Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
Crowds
The castle's own site warns that surrounding roads get busy on weekends and holidays and that parking is limited, and recommends arriving by public transportation.
Walking (our estimate)
A short loop on foot from the station. The castle's north entrance route reaches the main square without stairs, and so does the path past the local culture museum if you enter from the south.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes for walking the castle grounds and any stairs on the way to the main square.
Odawara, a castle town on Kanagawa's western edge, is one of the real settings behind MF Ghost. The anime follows Japan's last fossil-fuel motorsport series in a near-future where the rest of the world's cars have gone electric. Japan's anime-tourism association, which keeps an official list of anime pilgrimage sites, names Odawara Castle as the town's race-broadcast base and Daruma Ryoriten as one of the restaurants where the show's drivers eat.
Long before the anime, Odawara built its identity as a Later Hōjō clan castle town, a Tōkaidō post town, and later a villa district for Meiji-era business and cultural figures. The same walk that follows the show's locations also passes through centuries of the town's own history.
Times, fares and opening hours are approximate. Check the official pages under Sources before you go (last checked September 28, 2026).
Day 1
Odawara Castle and Daruma Ryoriten on Foot from the Station
A loop on foot from Odawara Station that covers the two Odawara locations named for MF Ghost, with time built in for the castle's ticketed halls.
Morning
Odawara Castle's keep and halls
Walk about 10 minutes from Odawara Station to reach Odawara Castle, the site MF Ghost uses as its race-broadcast base. Buy the Tenshukaku keep ticket first, since it also covers entry to the SAMURAI-kan hall at Tokiwagi-mon Gate. The keep's usual last entry is 4:30 pm, so visiting earlier in the day leaves more time for lunch and the rest of the loop. The NINJA-kan history hall, elsewhere in the park, needs a separate ticket if you want to see it too. Roads around the park get busy on weekends and holidays with limited parking, so arriving on foot from the station avoids that entirely.
Head from the castle to Daruma Ryoriten on foot. The restaurant's own directions say to cross at the crosswalk in front of Gakubashi, the red-railed bridge over the moat, and keep going straight. When you reach the main road, the restaurant is on the left, diagonally across from the city civic hall. MF Ghost shows its drivers eating here. Head for the ground-floor dining hall, since the second-floor tatami rooms serve course meals only. The dining hall's specialty is a tempura rice bowl that has been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1893. Set meals, sushi, and other à la carte dishes are also available there.
With no more MF Ghost stops on the list, the afternoon is open for the rest of the castle grounds or a walk through downtown Odawara. The castle's ticket page lists admission only for the keep, SAMURAI-kan, NINJA-kan and a few small attractions, and none for walking the park itself. The street along the moat is lined with historic restaurants and shops, and has cherry trees in spring. The city's tourism site lists walking routes and annual events for anyone with time to spare.
Evening
Back to Odawara Station
Odawara Station is served by JR East, JR Central, the Odakyu line, and the Daiyuzan line, so the return trip has several options depending on the next destination. Both Odawara Castle and Daruma Ryoriten sit within a short walk of the station, which is what makes this loop workable entirely on foot in a single day. Check the castle's own site before visiting, since its ticketed halls close on set days around the New Year and, for the keep, on the second Wednesday of December.
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Where to stay
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Getting around
Train to Odawara Station
Odawara Station is served by JR East, JR Central, the Odakyu line, and the Daiyuzan line, putting both MF Ghost stops within walking distance of the platforms.
If you want to see the SAMURAI-kan hall as well as the keep, buy the Tenshukaku keep ticket, which covers both; the NINJA-kan hall is sold separately.
Weekend and holiday traffic around Odawara Castle is heavy and parking is limited, so the castle itself recommends coming by train rather than by car.
At Daruma Ryoriten, head for the ground-floor dining hall for casual meals; the second-floor tatami rooms serve course meals only.
The castle's halls close Dec. 31-Jan. 1, and Daruma Ryoriten posts its closing-day and year-end hours notices on its information page, so check each site before visiting in that period.
FAQ
Do I need a car to see the MF Ghost locations in Odawara?
No. Odawara Castle is about a 10-minute walk from Odawara Station and Daruma Ryoriten is about a 7-minute walk from the station, so the whole loop works on foot.
Can I eat at Daruma Ryoriten without a reservation?
The restaurant calls its ground-floor hall the place for casual meals, and only the second-floor tatami rooms are course-meal only. Its site does not say whether the dining hall needs a reservation, so check before you go, especially on weekends.
Does one ticket cover all of Odawara Castle?
The Tenshukaku keep ticket also admits the SAMURAI-kan hall at Tokiwagi-mon Gate, but the NINJA-kan history hall needs a separate ticket.
What days are the castle's halls closed?
The keep closes the second Wednesday of December and Dec. 31-Jan. 1; the SAMURAI-kan and NINJA-kan halls close Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
Is Odawara Castle crowded?
The castle's own site says weekend and holiday traffic around the park is heavy with limited parking, and recommends visitors arrive by train rather than by car.
Combine with nearby routes
Have more days? These routes start or end close to this one.
