Kakegawa

Introduction

Kakegawa is a city in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, set within a total area of roughly 265 square kilometres. It is a place you can approach as a stop in the wider prefecture rather than a destination in its own right, with the city's scale giving you room to move between its districts without covering great distances.

Before you go

Kakegawa's tourist information is published almost entirely in Japanese. The local tourist association runs a guide site in Japanese only, with Google Translate built in, so you can read it in your own language through the translation tool. The city government's official site also has a solid tourism section, but it too is Japanese only.

Plan on doing your reading before you arrive, and keep a translation tool to hand for anything you want to check once you're there.

Getting there

Kakegawa sits on the Tokaido line, which connects it north to Tokyo and south to the rest of Shizuoka Prefecture. Shinkansen services also serve the city from Tokyo: all Kodama trains stop at Kakegawa, and a few Hikari services do as well, though Nozomi trains do not stop here. If you are travelling on a Shinkansen ticket that only covers Nozomi, you will need to change your plans or your service.

Neighbouring cities include Kikugawa and Aino, useful reference points if you are plotting a route through this part of the prefecture.

Getting around

Kakegawa Station is the hub for everything: the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, the JR Central Tōkaidō Main Line and the Tenryū Hamanako Line all meet at or near it, so it is your natural transfer point for almost any rail journey in the area. Note that Nozomi services do not stop here — you will need a Kodama, or a Hikari that stops at Kakegawa. The Tenryū Hamanako Line is the one to take for local stations the main line does not cover, including Kakegawa-shiyakusho-mae, Nishi-Kakegawa, Sakuragi, Ikoinohiroba, Hosoya, Haranoya, Harada and Towata. There is no metro or tram network, so beyond the trains your options are road-based.

The historic core is compact and flat, and Kakegawa Castle sits only a few hundred metres from the station, so walking covers the centre comfortably — but the city stretches a considerable distance, so treat walking as the way to cover the middle rather than the whole municipality. For outlying sights, buses radiate from the station area; tickets are typically bought as you board or paid on exit depending on the operator, IC cards are generally the convenient way to pay, and it is worth asking at the station about day passes or combined tickets. Taxis rank around the station and suit short trips, inconvenient bus connections or late arrivals; ride-hailing apps are less established here than in the big metropolises, so plan on flagging one or picking one up at a rank. Signage may appear in Portuguese as well as Japanese, reflecting the city's Nikkei community, so English can be less prominent than you might expect.

Where to stay

Your most convenient base is the area immediately around the train station, where you can step off the platform and be at your lodging almost at once. The Kakegawa Grand Hotel sits directly across the street from the station on Kame no Sato, making it a practical choice if you plan to arrive by rail and use the city as a stopover or a hub for exploring the surrounding area.

Food & drink

For a break from Japanese food, head to Ganesha, an India and Nepal restaurant run by Nepali staff and known for its curries. It's a useful stop if you're vegetarian or looking for Halal food, with a range of vegetable curries served with rice or naan. From Kakegawa Train Station, take the north side exit, turn right at the first street and walk for about 12 minutes with the train track on your right; the restaurant is on the left. If you're after something quick and familiar, 3Rings is a popular hamburger spot.

In the evening, Mama's Bar is a local foreigner bar with live jazz, soul and hip hop and good soul food; it's closed on Sundays. The owner is an interesting character, so call him over to your table for a chat. For something quieter, the Ninomaru Teahouse is a traditional teahouse in the castle site.

What to see and do

Kakegawa Castle is the city's main attraction, and its remaining grounds are well preserved and original even though the keep itself was rebuilt in the 1990s using the original techniques, materials and specifications. The original daimyo's palace still stands here, and the grounds host regular exhibitions. For more traditional Japanese art and handicraft, head to the Kakegawa Ninomaru Museum of Art, which shares a combined ticket with the castle. Beyond the city centre, the Takatenjin Castle Ruins mark the site of the largest battle between Ieyasu Tokugawa and Katsuyori Takeda during the Warring States Period, while the Yokosuka Castle Ruins, built by Tokugawa as a base for recapture efforts, now rest in a pleasant park setting. You can also visit the preserved former inn Nissaka-Shuku Kawasaka-Ya, built in the mid-19th century, and the old Japanese pond garden at Shimizu-tei.

The Kakegawa Flower and Bird Park, a short walk south of JR Kakegawa Station, makes a good rainy-day outing: birds including owls, parakeets, conures, toucans, penguins, emu and assorted waterfowl fly freely through the indoor enclosure, and you are encouraged to touch and interact with them. You can feed various kinds of bird, watch owl, falcon and eagle flight shows, and have souvenir photos taken with penguins; outside food is allowed for picnics. For more active pursuits, climb Mt. Awagatake or take the Shiosaibashi Cycling Route. Several hot springs are in the area, including Daito Hot Spa Seatopia, Kurami Hot Spa, Hosenji Hot Spa, and Shinrin-no-Yu in Tsumagoi.

When to go

Kakegawa has a humid subtropical climate, so the seasons shape your visit in distinct ways. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures peaking on average in August; expect muggy conditions and plan for heat during daytime outings. Winters are relatively mild rather than severe, with January the coolest month on average — the least hot stretch of the year, though the climate stays humid overall.

September stands out as the wettest month, so rain is the defining feature of a visit then. Expect wet conditions and plan accordingly.

Three days in Kakegawa

Day one: Arrive at Kakegawa Station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, served by Kodama, Hikari and Nozomi services, or on the JR Central Tōkaidō Main Line. Use the station as your base for orientation, and note that signage is limited outside Japanese, so Google Translate helps. Begin with Kakegawa Castle in the city centre, then settle into the surrounding streets of Kakegawa to eat and rest.

Day two: Take the Tenryū Hamanako Line from Kakegawa Station and ride through the small stations along the route, including Nishi, Sakuragi, Ikoinohiroba, Hosoya, Haranoya, Harada and Towata. The line is slow and local, so plan your stops around a few of these rather than trying to see them all. Return to Kakegawa in the evening.

Day three: Use the day to explore Kakegawa on foot and by taxi where distances are long, keeping an IC card handy for trains. If you want to extend the trip, neighbouring Kikugawa and Aino are within reach, and Tokyo is a straightforward Shinkansen ride away. Portuguese and Nikkei influences appear in the wider region, so keep an eye out for them as you travel.