Enoshima The Dragon Island
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Enoshima is a small island off the eastern coast of Japan in the Sagami Bay, not far from the city of Kamakura in the Kanagawa prefecture.
The Island is connected with the mainland by a 600-meter-long bridge. Home to some of the closest sandy beaches to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and neighboring coastline are the hub of a local resort area. Views of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed on days with good visibility. |
Enoshima Great Bridge
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Enoshima Island Spa "Enospa" is a large Onsen resort and day spa with indoor and outdoor pools sticking out of the cliffs of the island just beside the bridge.
Offers both gender segregated nude bathing and mixed gender pools that require a bathing suit. Some of the pools have a view of Mount Fuji on a clear day, and some are inside an artificial cave. |
Enoshima Island Spa "Enospa"
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The street leading to the shrine is very lively and it is bordered by numerous souvenirs shops, traditional restaurants and ryokan. Wandering through its many shops can be worth of a few good minutes of your time.
At the end of that street, you will find a red tori which leads, via a steep stairs, to the Enoshima Shrine main gate. If you don't feel like taking the steep stairs and slopes, this is also where you can take the Enoshima Escar, an escalator that will take you to the top of the island for 360 yen. The way down is done by foot however. |
Enoshima - Street Leading To Shrine
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Enopass is a combination ticket that includes admission to the island's main attractions "Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden, Lighthouse Tower, Iwaya Caves" and use of the escalators for 1000 yen "For Adults".
It also provides additional discounts on admission to the Benten Statue, the Enoshima Spa and the Aquarium as well as on purchases at dedicated shops and restaurants. The Enopass can be purchased at the Escalator Ticket Office and Tourist Information Office. |
Enoshima Great Bridge From The Above
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Enoshima Shrine consists of 3 small shrines, which are located in different places around the island and are dedicated to Benten, a mythological Shinto goddess.
Benten is believed to have created Enoshima before subduing a five headed dragon that had been terrorizing the area. Three shrines, Hetsunomiya, Nakatsunomiya and Okutsunomiya, in the island are collectively called Enoshima Shrine. |
Enoshima Shrine - Nakatsumiya
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Samuel Cocking Garden – These botanical gardens were established by the British merchant Samuel Cocking who in 1880 bought most of the island, and had his greenhouse, set up with the newest technology of his day.
Cocking collected thousands of rare plants and put all his efforts into nurturing them. Today there is still a botanical garden "rebuilt" and it also contains a 60 meter tall observation tower that also serves as lighthouse "Enoshima Sea Candle". The lighthouse designed in the shape of a candle in the garden. |
Samuel Cocking Garden & Enoshima Sea Candle
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At the end of a short side trail stands the Love Bell. It is a bell on a cliff overlooking the sea around Enoshima.
The bell was built in 1996 in honor of the legend of a heavenly maiden and a dragon with five heads. Make the bell ring together with your love, and you will be together for eternity. That is what is says on the panel in front of the bell. Due to a love related legend involving Benten and the dragon, here many young couples ring the bell together for good luck in romance, then write a message on a locker, lock it on the fence and hope for the best. After securing their padlock, most couples head to the sea to toss the key away. |
Love Bell
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Iwaya Caves - In the south coast there are two caves that can be reached by going down a 220-steps stair carved in stone.
The first cave "152 meters long" contains some Buddhist statues, while the second cave "56 meters long" houses a statue of a fierce green dragon, which according to legend once lived inside the cave. From the exhibits on display here, visitors can get a sense of how Enoshima's history and culture have developed over the centuries. |
The Path To Iwaya Caves
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Enoshima Aquarium "Enoshima-suizokukan" is on the shore across the bridge of Enoshima on the mainland.
This aquarium complex designed to reflect the sea life in Sagami Bay. The aquarium has a collection of 20,000 marine creatures, and sea lion and dolphin shows. You can expect the aquarium to be very crowded on hot summer days! |
Enoshima Aquarium
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AccessFrom Tokyo Station - Take the JR Tokaido Line to Fujisawa Station, and transfer to Enoshima Electric Railway for Enoshima Station "takes about 66 minutes".
From Shinjuku Station - Take JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line "Via Tokaido Line" to Fujisawa Station, and transfer to Enoshima Electric Railway for Enoshima Station "takes about 76 minutes". |
Scenic Spot - Hayama
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From Yokohama Station - Take the JR Tokaido line to Fujisawa Station, and transfer to Enoshima Electric Railway for Enoshima Station "takes about 35 minutes".
From Kamakura Station - The Enoshima Electric Railway "Enoden" connects Kamakura Station to Fujisawa Station, stopping also at Enoshima Station. Available discount tickets: |
Mt. Fuji From Osaki Park - Zushi City
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Enoshima Island - Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture
