Enoshima

江の島

A small island in Sagami Bay connected to the mainland, with Benzaiten Shrine, the Sea Candle observation tower, sea caves and seaside restaurants. It is also a prime spot to watch the sunset over Mount Fuji.

Enoshima is a small island in Sagami Bay, about 4 km in circumference, connected to Katase Coast by the roughly 400-meter Benten Bridge. It has been a sacred site of Benzaiten worship since ancient times and a popular destination for pilgrims and holidaymakers since the Edo period. Today it is one of the most visited attractions in the Shōnan area. The route runs in a line from low to high ground. After crossing the bridge and passing under the bronze torii, you enter Benten Nakamise, a 200-meter sloping shopping street selling Meoto manjū (twin bean-paste buns), octopus senbei and shirasu rice bowls. Next are the three shrines of Enoshima Shrine: Hetsu-no-miya, which enshrines Benzaiten and houses a nude Benzaiten statue in its octagonal Hōanden; Naka-tsu-miya; and Oku-tsu-miya. Between them, the paid outdoor escalator “Enoshima Escar” (three sections, 360 yen in total) spares you the climb. At the top are the Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden, a former greenhouse garden of an English merchant that is illuminated in winter, and the Enoshima Sea Candle, a roughly 60-meter observation tower. Its observation deck offers 360-degree views of Sagami Bay, the Shōnan coast, the Izu Peninsula and Mount Fuji. Combined admission to the garden and tower is about 800 yen. Continue down the south end of the island, past the cliffside restaurant street, to the Chigo-ga-fuchi rocks, the best spot for sunset and Mount Fuji, and the Iwaya caves, sea caves where Kōbō Daishi once trained. The two caves total about 150 meters. Enter holding a candle (500 yen). For the return trip, the sightseeing boat Benten-maru leaves from Chigo-ga-fuchi (about 10 minutes, 500 yen) and takes you directly back to the foot of Benten Bridge, sparing you the climb. Local food includes fresh shirasu rice bowls (not available raw during the fishing ban from January to mid-March), seafood barbecue, shellfish, and the giant Enoshima octopus senbei at the bridge head, made by flattening a whole octopus; expect a queue. Access: about 10 minutes on foot from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu line, or about 15 minutes from Enoshima Station on the Enoden line or Shōnan-Enoshima Station on the Shōnan Monorail. Allow 3–4 hours. Note: the island is full of slopes and stairs, so wear comfortable shoes. The caves close in heavy waves, and boat service is suspended. Benten Bridge is extremely crowded on weekends and during the illumination season. Hawks will snatch food from your hands, so be careful when eating outdoors.

Opening hours

All day; Samuel Cocking Garden and sea candles 09:00–20:00; caves 09:00–17:00 (varies slightly by season)

Island · Shinto shrine · Lighthouse · Sunset · Mount Fuji · Seafood

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby

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