While Japan still remains closed to tourists, there are many ways to experience Japan’s culture and history virtually! Thanks to Kanagawa Prefecture and Kokoro Care Packages, I was able to “visit” and learn about the ancient history of Odawara City.
You can now go on a virtual tour of Japan’s Historic Odawara Castle. Odawara City is located just south of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. It’s steeped in tradition and the city’s roots can be traced back to the time of the ninja and samurai.
The tour is completely in English and first walks you through the famous Odawara Castle grounds. It covers historical and cultural insights about the castle as well as about the specific time period in Japanese history. I particularly liked learning about the architecture and plan of the castle, hidden defenses, and seeing the gorgeous scenery from atop the castle (the ocean and mountains?!). They also give you a peep into their Samurai Museum where you can see real samurai armor and katana from the area and period.
The next segment of the tour was my favorite part: an interactive lesson about Fuma Ninja. Fuma Ninja was a famous clan of ninja that served Odawara castle’s feudal lords. While many people have an idea of what ninja are from films and anime, here you learn of how ninja really were. Hiroshi Jinkawa, a ninja scholar and ninjutsu (ninja arts) specialist, teaches about techniques, weapons, and ninja culture while dispelling some popular myths about ninja. Make sure to prepare and have a “sword” (like a long stick or umbrella) and “shuriken/ninja star” (like pencils) ready since you’ll be learning how to use them like a true ninja!
If you want to take part in this tour, they are happening every weekend for several months so check the schedule here. The tour runs for about 1 hour and is ¥2000 (JPY), which is about $17.50 (USD) – and they offer group discounts.
For more information, visit their website.
Thank you to Kangawa Prefecture and Kokoro Care Packages for having me take part in such a fun experience! If you want to learn more about Japan through food, please check out Kokoro Care Packages. They offer artisanal Japanese food subscription boxes that support small farmers and businesses along with prefectures, like Kanagawa! Use code “Sylvia_10” for a discount on your Kokoro Care Packages subscription!
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