The Later Hojo clan governed the Kanto region from Odawara for five generations, from the early sixteenth century until 1590, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi's siege brought their rule to an end. The city that Ieyasu inherited from the Hojo — who had already surrendered it — formed the basis of what became Edo. The Hojo built the infrastructure that made the region governable; they did not survive to profit from it. Odawara's festival on May 3rd is a celebration of the defeated: a procession of fifteen hundred participants representing the five generations of the clan that made this city significant. The decision to commemorate the Hojo, rather than the Tokugawa who replaced them, reflects a civic identity grounded in the city's pre-Edo history. Odawara is thirty minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen and an easy day trip from Kamakura or Hakone. The castle in the city center is a reconstruction, but it stands in grounds that retain the scale of the original fortification. The May festival adds a historical dimension to what would otherwise be a pleasant stop on the way to more famous destinations.