Your travel service writer is here with insider knowledge on one of Kanagawa Prefecture’s most talked-about food destinations. Today’s focus is TOTOCO Odawara — Japan’s one and only “fishing port station” — a three-floor facility right beside Odawara Fishing Port where fresh catches from Sagami Bay are transformed into an immersive seafood experience. The first floor overflows with over 1,600 local products, from freshly landed fish to the dried goods and fish cakes that have made Odawara famous for centuries. The third floor hosts a 59-minute all-you-can-eat sashimi buffet that draws families from across the Tokyo metropolitan area every weekend. If you’re planning a trip to Kanagawa, this place belongs on your itinerary.
| Items | Details |
|---|---|
| Facility Name | TOTOCO Odawara (Gyokou no Eki TOTOCO Odawara) |
| Address | 1-28 Hayakawa, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Hours | 1F: 9:00–17:00 / 2F: 10:00–17:00 (LO 16:00) / 3F: Weekdays 10:59–17:00, Weekends 10:30–17:00 (LO 16:00) |
| Closed | Open year-round |
| Parking | 166 spaces (15 motorcycle spaces) |
| Nearest Station | JR Tokaido Line, Hayakawa Station — approx. 10 min on foot |
| By Car | Approx. 2 min from Seisho Bypass Hayakawa IC / Approx. 4 min from Odawara-Atsugi Road Odawara Nishi IC |
A Few Things to Know Before You Visit
TOTOCO Odawara is genuinely popular, and weekends can get busy from well before opening time. The third-floor sashimi buffet operates on a reservation basis for most of the year — walk-in slots do fill up on busy days, so booking in advance is the safest approach if that’s your main goal.
One practical note on access: the nearest station is not Odawara Station but Hayakawa Station, one stop to the west. Walking from Odawara Station takes over 30 minutes, so arriving by car or from Hayakawa Station makes the most sense. There are 166 parking spaces on site, though they can fill up on weekends.
Sagami Bay and the History Behind TOTOCO
TOTOCO Odawara opened in November 2019, but the fishing port it sits beside — Odawara Fishing Port, also known as Hayakawa Port — has a history stretching back to the Muromachi period. By the Edo era, Odawara had grown into one of the most important castle towns and post stations along the Tokaido highway, and its port thrived alongside it. The city had first flourished as the stronghold of the Hojo clan, and even under the Tokugawa shogunate it remained a critical hub for trade and the fishing industry. Formal modernization of the port began around 1947, and it reached its current form by the late 1960s. Today it houses the largest wholesale fish market in western Kanagawa Prefecture.
Sagami Bay, which Odawara faces directly, is considered one of Japan’s three great deep bays, with depths exceeding 1,500 meters at its deepest point. Warmed by the Kuroshio Current and rich in nutrients, it supports an extraordinary diversity of marine life throughout the year. Migratory species such as horse mackerel, mackerel, and sardines pass through in large numbers, while flatfish, octopus, and flounder are landed from the seafloor. Spring brings cherry shrimp and whitebait, autumn and winter usher in yellowtail and barracuda — the bay’s seasonal variety is one of its defining qualities. Odawara Fishing Port’s fixed-net fishing method, which captures fish that naturally drift into stationary nets, is particularly well-suited to this diverse environment, and the morning fish market sees a steady flow of fresh local catches put up for auction each day.
Odawara’s most iconic souvenir — kamaboko fish cake — grew directly out of this same seafood tradition. Records suggest fish cake production flourished here during the Edo period, when travelers along the Tokaido highway began carrying it home as a distinctive gift from the region. Dried fish, particularly dried horse mackerel and sardines from Sagami Bay, earned a similarly strong reputation and remain among the best-selling products at TOTOCO Odawara today.
How TOTOCO Came to Be
The facility’s origins trace back to 2002, when national legislation on fishing port development came into effect and Kanagawa Prefecture drew up a plan specifically for Odawara’s port. The city of Odawara took the lead as the project’s sponsor, setting out to create a public facility dedicated to revitalizing the local fishing industry and energizing the surrounding area. Construction began in October 2017 — though Typhoon Jabi caused damage midway through in July 2018, pushing the opening back by roughly six months. The facility eventually opened on November 22, 2019, with a total construction cost of approximately 700 million yen. Day-to-day operations are handled by TTC, a Atami-based company with expertise in running roadside stations and developing regional tourism products throughout the Izu area. The fresh fish and seafood sales floor is run by a company jointly established by the local fishermen’s cooperative and the fish market, making TOTOCO a genuinely collaborative effort between the public and private sectors.
The name “TOTOCO” was chosen through a public competition. It plays on the Japanese phrase meaning “treasure trove of fish,” with toto being a colloquial word for fish. The intent was a name that feels approachable for everyone from young children to grandparents. Since opening, the facility has welcomed more than 5.55 million visitors.
The Sashimi Buffet on the Third Floor
The crown jewel of TOTOCO Odawara is the third-floor restaurant “Osashimi Tengoku — Odawara Kaisen GoGo,” which offers a 59-minute all-you-can-eat experience centered on sashimi sourced directly from Odawara’s fish market. Around 25 varieties of raw fish are available at any given time, alongside cooked seafood, fried dishes, side dishes, and rice — all included in a single price. The 59-minute time limit is a deliberate piece of wordplay: 59 in Japanese can be read as “go-ku,” which sounds like “goku,” meaning heavenly or blissful. The restaurant seats 80 and operates buffet-style, with guests serving themselves freely throughout their session. It’s popular with families and dedicated seafood lovers alike, and the queues on weekends speak for themselves.
For full details on the buffet — including how to make a reservation and tips for making the most of your 59 minutes — a dedicated article covers everything you need to know.
Three Floors, Three Different Experiences
First Floor: Local Produce and Souvenirs
The ground floor is a shopping zone stocking over 1,600 products, including fresh and live fish direct from Odawara Fishing Port, dried fish, kamaboko, seafood delicacies, prepared foods, and locally grown produce such as Odawara mandarin oranges. Three tenant shops make up the floor: an agricultural produce market, Hojo-no-Megumi (run by the local fishermen’s cooperative), and Souzai Ishibashi, a prepared-foods specialist. Payment is accepted in cash as well as major credit cards, IC cards, and various e-money formats. Hours are 9:00 to 17:00.
Second Floor: Dining with an Ocean View
The second floor food court houses two restaurants, both with access to a terrace that overlooks Sagami Bay. The terrace is pet-friendly and reached via an external staircase on the right-hand side of the building.
Odawara Gyoko Totomaru Shokudo
A seafood diner built around Odawara Fishing Port’s daily catch. The menu runs from Shonan whitebait three-topping bowls and tuna bowls to釜揚げ (freshly boiled) whitebait rice and seasonal fish sets — a rotating lineup that reflects what’s coming off the boats.
- Hours: 10:00–17:00 (LO 16:00)
Odawara Gyoko Curry
Opened in spring 2025, this specialist curry shop uses seafood from the fish market as its primary ingredient, cooking it down with spices into a rich, deeply flavored broth. For visitors who prefer cooked fish or are traveling with young children who aren’t ready for raw sashimi, it’s a practical and genuinely good option.
- Hours: Weekdays 11:00–LO 15:00 / Weekends 10:00–LO 16:00
Third Floor: All-You-Can-Eat and Ocean Views
The third floor is home to the sashimi buffet described above, along with a terrace accessible from an external staircase — also pet-friendly — where the view across Sagami Bay is arguably the best in the building.
Best Souvenirs to Buy on the First Floor
The first floor offers a wide range of take-home options. Here are the items that consistently draw the most interest.
No. 1: Odawara Dried Fish (Horse Mackerel, Sardines, and More)
Dried fish made from Sagami Bay catches landed at Odawara Fishing Port represents the most local possible version of a local specialty. The concentration of umami in fish dried this close to the source sets it apart from anything you’d find in a supermarket. Dried horse mackerel is the classic choice and comes packaged for refrigerated or frozen transport, making it practical to take home.
No. 2: Kamaboko and Surimi Products
Odawara is widely regarded as the birthplace of kamaboko in Japan, and the first floor carries a broad range of fish paste products from local makers — board-pressed kamaboko, deep-fried varieties, chikuwa, and hanpen among them. Some are sold ready to eat on the spot. These products carry centuries of food culture history from a city that once fed travelers on the Tokaido highway.
No. 3: Ikura Soy Sauce and Sea Urchin Soy Sauce
Two award-winning condiments have become signature products at TOTOCO Odawara: an ikura (salmon roe) soy sauce that won the top prize at a national condiment competition, and a sea urchin soy sauce that took a grand prix in a separate contest. Both have appeared on television programs. Drizzle the ikura soy sauce over plain rice and you have something close to a salmon roe rice bowl — a compact, shelf-stable piece of Odawara to bring home. Gift packaging is available for both.
No. 4: Odawara Mandarins and Local Produce
The agricultural produce corner carries seasonal vegetables and citrus fruits grown in and around Odawara. The city’s mild climate produces mandarins with a clean, pronounced sweetness, and during the season there’s a certain pleasure in sampling varieties side by side.
No. 5: Seafood Delicacies and Prepared Foods
Small jars of simmered burdock, clam tsukudani, and various drinking snacks round out the souvenir options. The prepared foods from Souzai Ishibashi have a home-cooked quality that makes them just as enjoyable on the day of purchase as they are later at home.
More Than Just Food: Entertainment Throughout the Facility
TOTOCO Odawara has enough going on beyond the restaurants to occupy a full afternoon. Near the entrance, a claw machine filled with kamaboko-shaped toys — the “Kamaboko Catcher” — tends to draw a crowd of children. Win and you take home a TOTOCO original item. Along the staircase connecting all three floors, illustrated panels and screens introduce the fish species of Sagami Bay, turning the walk between floors into a low-key lesson in local marine life.
On the sweet side, the “Odawara Gyoko Pudding” counter on the first floor sells a pudding designed to look as though tiny fish are swimming inside it — a visual that tends to stop people in their tracks. Soft-serve ice cream comes in Odawara-specific flavors, including a version modeled on the Odawara chochin lantern and a lemon variety that uses local citrus. These treats work well as a break between shopping and the buffet, or as a final stop before heading home.
TOTOCO Odawara also runs an online shop, so products that catch your eye during the visit — including the award-winning condiments — can be reordered after you’re back.
Nearby Attractions Worth Combining with Your Visit
Odawara Castle Park
A 10-minute walk from JR Odawara Station, Odawara Castle Park occupies the site of what was once the largest castle in the Kanto region, serving as the stronghold of the Hojo clan before falling to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590. The current concrete keep was rebuilt in 1960 and functions as a local history museum. The park has been designated one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots, with around 300 Somei Yoshino trees creating a spectacular display in spring. Autumn foliage extends the visual appeal well into November.
Saikachi-koji Lane
A short walk from Odawara Castle, Saikachi-koji Lane is a quiet alley that once lined with samurai residences during the Edo period, and later became home to writers and poets during the Meiji and early Showa eras. The poet Kitahara Hakushu, one of modern Japan’s most celebrated lyricists, wrote several nursery rhymes with references to this area, earning the lane its informal title as the “Hakushu Nursery Rhyme Promenade.” In spring, around 51 cherry trees arch over the path and create a tunnel of blossoms that feels distinctly removed from the rest of the city. The lane also leads to the Odawara Literature Museum and Hakushu Nursery Rhyme Hall, a Western-style building registered as a tangible cultural heritage property. About 10 minutes by car from TOTOCO Odawara.
Seikantei (Former Kuroda Mansion)
Originally built in 1906 as the country retreat of Marquis Nagashige Kuroda — a senior statesman who served as Vice President of the House of Peers for three decades — this elegant sukiya-style villa sits on land that was once part of Odawara Castle’s outer earthworks. It was designated a nationally registered tangible cultural property in 2005, and after a period as a public viewing facility, reopened in March 2024 as “Odawara Bettei Ryori Seikantei,” a Japanese restaurant. The kitchen draws on the city’s ingredients — including fish from Odawara Fishing Port — and structures its menu around the traditional calendar of 24 seasonal periods. A renovated warehouse on the grounds operates as a café, serving items like checkered sushi and an original sweet soup. On clear days, the main house offers views of the Manazuru Peninsula and, in the distance, Sagami Bay. The garden and second floor are open for viewing. About 10 minutes by car from TOTOCO Odawara, it makes a natural companion to a half-day itinerary combining seafood, history, and traditional architecture.
Suzuhiro Kamaboko no Sato
The Suzuhiro Kamaboko complex is an appropriate final stop for anyone who has developed an interest in fish cake culture after browsing the first floor at TOTOCO Odawara. The long-established maker runs a hands-on kamaboko-making workshop, a museum tracing the history of the craft, a direct sales shop, and a restaurant — all on one site. About 5 minutes by car from TOTOCO Odawara, it pairs naturally into the same afternoon.
Recommended Accommodation Nearby
Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa
About 10 minutes by car from TOTOCO Odawara, this full-scale resort sits at 183 meters above sea level and offers ocean views from all 163 rooms. The breakfast buffet at Brasserie Flora includes a seafood station where guests can assemble their own seafood rice bowl using the day’s selection of whitebait, tuna, horse mackerel, and other toppings — a natural continuation of the TOTOCO Odawara experience. The Bade Zone pool facility covers 10 indoor and outdoor pools, all maintained at a comfortable temperature year-round and free for hotel guests. Children are particularly drawn to the mushroom-shaped fountain pool, where jets of water shoot from multiple directions — an attraction that runs throughout the day and consistently produces the kind of uninhibited delight you don’t see from adults. The pool accepts children from 12 months (swim diapers permitted), making it one of the more family-inclusive aquatic facilities in the region. Natural hot spring baths, spa treatments, tennis courts, and 岩盤浴 (heated stone bath) round out the facilities. A free shuttle bus runs from JR Nefukawa Station.
THE VIEW Odawara — A Hotel with a Castle View
Less than a minute’s walk from Odawara Station, this hotel offers rooms with views of Odawara Castle and functions well as a base for exploring the city on foot. About 8 minutes by car from TOTOCO Odawara. A practical choice for travelers who want to combine TOTOCO with Odawara Castle, Seikantei, and Saikachi-koji in a single day trip.
Yumoto Fujiya Hotel
A few minutes on foot from Hakone-Yumoto Station, this historic hotel sits alongside the Hayakawa River and has been drawing guests to the Hakone hot spring area for many years. About 15 minutes by car from TOTOCO Odawara. For travelers who want to extend their trip into Hakone after visiting TOTOCO Odawara, this hotel provides a comfortable base with access to the region’s famous natural hot springs.
Traveling Japan with a Dedicated Tour Conductor
Navigating a facility like TOTOCO Odawara is straightforward, but combining it smoothly with Odawara Castle, Seikantei, Suzuhiro, and Hakone in a single trip — with transport, timing, and reservations all handled efficiently — is where having professional support on the ground makes a real difference. A dedicated tour conductor travels with your party throughout your Japan itinerary, handling logistics coordination, emergency assistance, and interpretation support so that your attention stays on the experience rather than the details.
For travelers who want to explore Odawara and the surrounding Kanagawa region without the friction that often comes with independent travel in Japan, the tour conductor service is worth a look.
A Complete Seafood Experience in Odawara
TOTOCO Odawara brings together fresh seafood, centuries of fishing culture, and a layered local food tradition into a single facility that works for an hour of shopping or a full afternoon of eating, browsing, and exploring. The sashimi buffet on the third floor is the obvious draw, but the first floor’s dried fish and condiments, the second floor’s ocean-view dining, and the surrounding attractions in Odawara make this a destination worth building a day around. Odawara is under an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen, and pairing TOTOCO Odawara with Hakone gives you one of the more satisfying combinations available on a day trip or short overnight from the capital.
Weekends fill up quickly, so if the buffet is on your list, securing a reservation before you arrive is the most reliable way to guarantee a seat.