9th Station: Odawara

Odawara was the first post station in a “castle town” that travelers encountered after leaving Edo. It was established between the mountains of Hakone and Sagami Bay on the banks of the Sakawa River. In this scene Hiroshige shows a daimyo procession being carried across the river with the castle seen in the distance on the right, at the base of a mass of high, jagged hills.

This station flourished because of its position at the entrance to Hakone Pass, the most arduous part of the Tokaido. Travelers were able to rest before or after their treacherous journey through the pass.