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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Kakegawa
掛川
Stop for one night on the Tokaido Shinkansen: the rebuilt castle keep and the daimyo's palace are worth a half day, then move on.
Kakegawa is a small Shizuoka city on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu. Its draw is Kakegawa Castle: a keep rebuilt in 1993 with original methods, plus the surviving daimyo's palace, one of the few left in Japan. The Flower and Bird Park is a solid rainy-day option. Most travellers use it as a one-night rail stop, not a base.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 掛川
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup (ramen or soba) | ¥800–1,300 |
| Curry and naan at a local Indian-Nepali restaurant | ¥900–1,500 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥1,800–2,400 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FSZ · Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport
- About 1 h by car or bus-and-rail via Shimada; check connections
- NGO · Chubu Centrair
- Shinkansen via Nagoya, about 1 h 30 min total; check
- HND · Tokyo Haneda
- Shinkansen from Tokyo or Shinagawa, about 2 h on Kodama; check
Typical fares
- Shinkansen Tokyo → Kakegawa, Kodama reserved
- about ¥6,500, about 2 h (check)
- Shinkansen Nagoya → Kakegawa, Kodama reserved
- about ¥4,500, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi Kakegawa Station → castle area
- about ¥1,000–1,400, 5 min (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable: station to castle about 15 min on foot. Local buses and taxis cover the Flower and Bird Park and the outer castle ruins; a car helps for the onsen and the tea districts.
See and do
Known for
- Kakegawa Castle and its daimyo's palace
- Kakegawa Flower and Bird Park
- Tokaido Shinkansen stop (Kodama, some Hikari)
- Green tea fields of the surrounding district
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hamamatsu | Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama or JR Tokaido line | 20–40 min |
| Shizuoka | Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama or JR Tokaido line | 25–50 min |
| Kikugawa | JR Tokaido line, one or two stops | 10–15 min |
| Iwata | JR Tokaido line west | 40–50 min |
Sleep
- Kakegawa Station north side
- Business hotels across the street from the JR and Shinkansen platforms; best for one night with bags.
- Castle area
- A 15-min walk from the station; quieter, close to the castle, art museum and teahouse.
- Daito and Kurami onsen
- Hot-spring baths outside the centre; you need a car or taxi, so treat as a splurge night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Nozomi Shinkansen do not stop at Kakegawa: use Kodama, or a Hikari that calls here.
- Castle and Ninomaru museum hours are limited and can change: check the official site before you go.
- Outer sights (Takatenjin, Yokosuka ruins, onsen) are spread out and poorly served by bus: plan a taxi or skip.
Kakegawa is a quiet, low-risk small city; the real issues are summer heat, limited late-night transport and thin bus service to the outer sights.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kakegawa yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kakegawa Castle and its daimyo's palace
- Kakegawa Flower and Bird Park
- Tokaido Shinkansen stop (Kodama, some Hikari)
- Green tea fields of the surrounding district
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Kakegawa City official tourism section: www.city.kakegawa.shizuoka.jp/kanko/spot/
- Kakegawa Castle official site: kakegawajo.com/english/
- Kakegawa Flower and Bird Park official site: k-hana-tori.com/eng/
- Wikivoyage: Kakegawa, revision 4908019 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4908019
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kakegawa掛川
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Kakegawa; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Nagoya and Osaka. Check your own country's list.
Small city: many restaurants close early and some cash-only places remain. Carry some yen.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kakegawa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.