Odawara City, Kanagawa神奈川県小田原市

Living in Odawara City, Kanagawa

Odawara Castle

We have Summarized the livability of Odawara City, Kanagawa.

WESTERN AREA県西地域

What kind of place is Odawara City?
Odawara CityPR video
How is the traffic situation in Odawara City?
How are the rent and land prices in Odawara City?
How is childcare and education in Odawara City?
How about shopping in Odawara City?
How about jobs and recruitment in Odawara City?
Odawara City’s unique subsidy/subsidy system

What kind of place is Odawara City, Kanagawa?

Odawara city as seen from Odawara Castle

Odawara City is located in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture and faces Sagami Bay.

Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a city located in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture.
It is bordered by Kaisei Town, Oi Town, and Nakai Town to the north, Ninomiya Town to the east, Sagami Bay, Yugawara Town, and Manazuru Town to the south, and Hakone Town to the west.
It has a population of approximately 187,000 and approximately 83,000 households. (As of December 2022)

Since it is close to Hakone-machi in Ashigarashimo-gun, you can see many tourists here.
It also faces Sagami Bay, and is a relatively relaxed and easy-to-live-in town.
During the Sengoku period, it flourished as a castle town for the Hojo clan.
As a result, Odawara City has several spots that give a sense of its history.
A famous tourist spot is Odawara Castle, located in Odawara Castle Ruins Park.
Other tourist spots include Hotoku Ninomiya Shrine and Kozuyama Hokōji Temple.
Odawara City in Kanagawa Prefecture is close to the prefectural capital Yokohama City, so it is highly convenient and has long been popular as an easy-to-live-in town.

PR video of Odawara City, Kanagawa

Odawara Migration Promotional Video “What I Found in Odawara” Episode 1

All episodes of the Odawara immigration promotional video “Things I found in Odawara”

6th Odawara City Comprehensive Plan “2030 Roadmap 1.0” “Future of Work” Edition

The 6th Odawara City Comprehensive Plan “2030 Roadmap 1.0” All Episodes

How is the traffic situation in Odawara City?

Odawara Station

Odawara City is a city with good access to the city center and Yokohama.

Odawara City in Kanagawa Prefecture has flourished as a transportation hub since ancient times. With such a history, it is a city with very good transportation access.
There are 7 lines and 18 stations in Odawara City, as shown below.
The JR Tokaido Line has Kozu Station, Kamonomiya Station, Odawara Station, Hayakawa Station, and Nebukawa Station, the JR Shonan Shinjuku Line has Odawara Station, the JR Tokaido Shinkansen has Odawara Station, the JR Gotemba Line – Shimo-Soga Station and Kozu Station, the Izu Hakone Tetsudo Daiyuzan Line has Odawara Station, Midorimachi Station, Ihosouda Station, Gohyaku Rakan Station, Anabe Station, and Iidaoka Station, the Odakyu Odakyu Line has Kayama Station, Tomizu Station, Hotaru-da Station, Ashigara Station, and Odawara Station, and the Hakone Tozan Railway has Odawara Station, Hakone-Itabashi Station, Kazamatsuri Station, and Iryuda Station. There are many lines intertwined in the city.
If you take the Ueno-Tokyo Line, you can get from Odawara Station, the main station, to Tokyo Station in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. It takes about 1 hour to get to Yokohama Station.
Since you can get there in one train without having to transfer, many people commute to work or school in Tokyo from Odawara City.

In addition, you can also use the Odakyu Line of the Odakyu Electric Railway.
By using the Odakyu Electric Railway, you can travel from Odawara Station to Shinjuku Station in about an hour and a half. This method can also be accessed in one train without changing trains.
When heading to Hakone, the Hakone Tozan Railway is convenient. If you take the Hakone Tozan Railway, you can access Hakone-Itabashi Station in about 10 minutes. It will come in handy when you go sightseeing.
The Tokaido Shinkansen also runs through Odawara City.
By using the Shinkansen, you can access Tokyo in about 30 minutes.
It is also easy to access Osaka. Route buses include the Hakone Tozan Bus and Izu Hakone Bus.
As you can see, Odawara City has a wide range of public transportation such as trains and buses, and you can access both Tokyo and Osaka in a short time.

The Shinkansen stops here and there are multiple train lines running through the area, making it very convenient for transportation to get to both the east and west.

Roads towards Shonan are frequently congested during the summer tourist season.

How are the rent and land prices in Odawara City?

Odawara City: A city with many affordable rental properties and residential properties

Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a little far from central Tokyo and Yokohama City, so land prices are somewhat low.
Therefore, there tends to be many reasonably priced properties in the city.
There are many rental properties such as apartments and condominiums around Odawara Station.
The average rent is about 60,000 yen, and there are many 1R to 1K apartments in the 50,000 yen range.
There are plenty of properties with affordable rent for new graduates and students living alone.
The average rent for 3LDK to 4DK rental properties is around 80,000 yen, so families will be able to live with low rent.
Since there are many families living here, there are also many reasonably priced used condominiums.

How is childcare and education in Odawara City?

Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History

Odawara City: A city with many schools and a rich educational environment

Odawara City has a wide range of educational facilities, including 31 kindergartens, 16 preschools, 25 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 7 high schools, 5 junior colleges, and 6 vocational schools.
Child medical expense assistance covers full costs for children up to 18 years old (until March 31 after their 18th birthday) for both outpatient and inpatient care.
Child allowances are provided as follows: 15,000 yen for children under 3 years old, 10,000 yen for the first and second child aged 3 to just before elementary school, 15,000 yen for the third child and beyond, and 10,000 yen for middle school students.
With over 20 public elementary schools, finding a school for your child in Odawara should be easy. The city also offers private middle and high schools, as well as junior colleges and universities.
The area is well-equipped for childcare, with numerous preschools and kindergartens. Additionally, Odawara features natural spots such as Odawara Flower Garden, Ikoi no Mori, and Soga Plum Grove, and is close to the sea, making beach outings with your children convenient.

Odawara City: A city that also works to support child-rearing

Odawara City also provides support for child-rearing.
The city is home to the Ronie Child-rearing Support Center, which provides information on child-rearing in addition to consultations on child-rearing.
Facilities like this are sure to be a reliable ally for those raising children.
In addition to picture books and toys, the Child-rearing Support Center also has play equipment such as slides, so even small children can have fun.
The Miraikko Early Childhood Education Center offers a variety of experience programs for children from 1 year old to preschoolers.
You can also experience events that allow you to interact with nature, such as rice planting and mountain climbing.

There are almost no children on waiting lists, and the area has a good environment for raising children, with a wide range of educational institutions.

Considering the population, there are not many obstetrics and gynecology clinics that can deliver babies.

How about shopping in Odawara City?

Dynasty

Odawara City: A city with a large shopping mall

Odawara City in Kanagawa Prefecture offers a well-developed shopping environment.
The city boasts a variety of stores, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and electronics retailers.
Additionally, there are several large shopping malls where you can purchase everything from fashion to groceries, and enjoy dining at the restaurants located within these malls.
A popular shopping mall in the city is Dynacity, located near Kamonomiya Station, which is also known for being the setting of a manga.
Minaka Odawara, located on the east side of Odawara Station, allows you to enjoy shopping while experiencing the atmosphere of the Edo period.
The east side also features a shopping district with a variety of stores that attract many visitors daily.
In the Hayakawa area, Odawara Fish Center offers fresh seafood.
There are also many stores selling local souvenirs and famous confections, such as kamaboko (fish cakes) and senbei (rice crackers).

There are several stores around Odawara Station, including the station building, and there are several large shopping malls on the outskirts, so you will almost never have trouble finding something to buy.

Popular shopping malls are especially crowded on holidays.

How about jobs and recruitment in Odawara City?

Odawara City: A city with many companies and relatively many job openings

There are many different companies in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Since the headquarters and factories of large companies are also concentrated here, it is an area with a relatively large number of job openings.
The majority of job openings are for workers in factories and warehouses. There are also many job openings in the nursing and medical fields.
There are also job openings for drivers and sales positions.
There are quite a few people who live in Odawara City and work in Tokyo or Yokohama.