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Destinations... Japan Travel Guide The Yamasa Institute |
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Destinations... Japan Travel Guide The Yamasa Institute |
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Edited by: Declan Murphy Recommended: Suggested Itineraries Favorite Tokyo moments... Best ways to get there Tokyo Photogallery Newsgroups: fj.rec.travel.japan, Alt-FAQ Bulletin Boards: Fun/Clubs/Nightlife  Accommodation/Discounts
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"More and more luminous the hollow world. League-wide heapings of cottony cloud roll apart. Fearfully far away there is a light of gold upon water: the sun here remains viewless, but the ocean sees him. It is not a flicker, but a burnished glow;--at such a distance ripplings are invisible. . . . Farther and farther scattering, the clouds unveil a vast gray and blue landscape;--hundreds and hundreds of miles throng into vision at once. On the right I distinguish Kanagawa Prefecture Bay, and Kamakura, and the holy island of Enoshima (no bigger than the dot over this letter "i");--on the left the wilder Suruga coast, and the blue-toothed promontory of Idzu, and the place of the fishing-village where I have been summering--the merest pin-point in that tinted dream of hill and shore. Rivers appear but as sun-gleams on spider-threads;--fishing-sails are white dust clinging to the gray-blue glass of the sea. And the picture alternately appears and vanishes while the clouds drift and shift across it, and shape themselves into spectral islands and mountains and valleys of all Elysian colors...."
Lafcadio Hearn, Exotics and Retrospectives, 1898.
Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) visited Enoshima in the mid 1890s, and wrote that he was surprised to see fisherman diving easily to collect turban shells (sazae) - the local speciality which you can eat at any of the restaurants on the island. It is an unfortunate reflection of the changes that have affected Enoshima that the shellfish no longer exist in the area, as is the rescinding of Enoshima's status as a Site of Historical Value and Scenic Beauty in 1960. There is still plenty of interest to the tourist however, and the island is well worth visiting while in the area.
Enoshima is a small holy island located to the south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Fujisawa at the end of the Odakyuu line that runs from Shinjuku in the centre of Kanagawa Prefecture. A popular surfing, windsurfing and sailing centre, Enoshima also has a lively history dating back over 1000 years and is perfect for a day trip out of Kanagawa Prefecture or combined with a visit to Kamakura located a little to the east. There is enough to keep you occupied in either place for an entire day, but if you are pressed for time, you can see the best of both in one day.
The goddess of Enoshima, Benten (or Benzaiten), is the only female of the seven gods of luck (shichi-fukujin) which are often represented in Japanese theatre and art. She is the Buddhist patron of literature and music, wealth and femininity and according to one legend, a sea dragon used to ravage the island of Enoshima until Benten married him. Most of her shrines are near the sea, and she is often shown playing the biwa and with or riding a sea dragon in Japanese art. Her first temple was built on the island by Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199), founder of the Kamakura Shogunate. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu made the island's temple to Benten the official family prayer hall. This connection with the Tokugawa Shogunate served Enoshima badly in the Meiji Restoration when all Buddhist structures on the island were destroyed.
For convenience, the sites are divided between the and the island, but since the causeway to the island is only a few hundred metres long, it is easy enough to switch between the two.
Enoshima Town:
Enoshima Acquarium:
Located to the west of the Odakyuu train station on the seafront. Come out of the station and turn to the right on the seafront road. The aquarium combines a waterpark with various animal shows and the aquarium itself.
Contact details: ENOSHIMA AQUARIUM 2-17-25 Katasekaigan, Fujisawa-shi Kanagawa 251 Japan +81 (0)466 228111. Homepage (Japanese only).
Ryukoji Temple (Jakkozan Ryukoji):
Located on the southern face of Katase hill over looking Enoshima island, Ryukoji Temple was founded on an execution ground of the Kamakura Government in 1337 by Nippo, a student of Nichiren (1222-1282), founder of the Nichiren Sect of Buddhism. Nichiren was a particularly outspoken priest, who criticised other brands of Buddhism as not being true to the origins of the faith, and also the government (a perilous activity in twelfth century Japan). Because of this, he was sentenced to death and prepared for execution on 12th September 1271. Legend has it that as the executioner raised his sword, a timely flash of lighting and accompanying clap of thunder so scared the executioner that he couldn't complete his task. Convinced that Nichiren had caused the thunder and lightning (he was attributed many miracles during his career), the priest escaped execution and was instead exiled to an island off the coast of Niigata Prefecture.
The original temple consisted of a sanctuary containing a statue of Nichiren. Followers later donated more land and the temple achieved its present extent of 16,000 square meters in 1601. The main attractions are the five-story pagoda (built in 1910); the cave where Nichiren was held for execution; the main hall (Hondo - rebuilt in 1818) housing the Shikikawa-ishi where Nichiren sat awaiting execution; the Shichimen Daimyojin Shrine; and the Buddha's Stupa which would look at home in Nepal or India.
The annual memorial service from September 11 to 13 commemorates the date of the intended execution of Nichiren, and there is also an interesting antique market on the third Sunday of each month if you have time. Admission to the grounds is free and the temple is open all year round.
Contact details: RYUKOJI TEMPLE 13-37, Katase 3-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-0032 Japan +81 (0)466 25-7357.
Enoshima Beach:
The main beach is located to the east of the causeway, and is easily found. Head towards the causeway to Enoshima from either station (see How to get there below) and you will see the beach to the left. There are plenty of shops and restaurants, ryokan and other places to stay along the road from the Enoden station, and also along the roads behind the beach or try some of the following.
There are many companies in Enoshima that will rent surfboards, offer windsurfing or scuba lessons, sailing, and so on. Just ask at any of the sports shops behind the beach. Most have homepages in Japanese only, and you should not expect any to speak English.
Windsurfing: Sylphide 1-12-9 Katase Kaigan, Fujisawa-shi Kanagawa. Tel: +81 (0)466 222511 (Homepage: Japanese only). The shop is on your left as you walk from the Enoden station to the beach, or just behind the main road following the beach near the Benten Causeway to Enoshima.
Diving: Grampus 4-17-5 Katase, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa 251-0032. Tel: +81(0)466 27-1964 Fax: +81 (0)466 27-1857 (Homepage: Japanese only). Exit from Enoden Enoshima station, take the main road to the right of the track back towards Fujisawa and the shop is on the left after a few hundred metres.
Fishing: Akitaya 248 Koshigoe, Kamakura. 2-12-20 Tel: +81 (0)467 31-1289 Fax: +81 (0)467 31-7825 Port Reception: +81 (0)30 23-59700. Located near the harbour at the opposite end of the beach from the Benten Causeway to Enoshima. (Homepage: Japanese only).
Enoshima Island:
Enoshima Jinja:
As you leave the Benten Causeway, follow the street directly ahead to arive at the main gate or mon to Enoshima Jinja. The temple itself was founded in 1206 by Sanetomo Minamoto, the third shogun of the Kamakura Bakufu. All buildings in the complex date from 1657 when they were rebuilt. Look out for the famous nude Benten and the eight-armed Benten housed in the Houanden octagonal shrine. Both date from the late Kamakura period or shortly afterwards. The statues were only brought out every six years (in the year of the snake and the year of the boar) during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, the statues were left lying in a local hall, where children played with them until they were restored to the temple.
Look out for the "Stone of Good Luck" near the second Torii gate. The blind acupuncturist Waichi Sugiyama tripped over this when leaving the Benten shrine, was stabbed in the leg by a pine needle inside a bamboo tube. Inspired by this, he used a tube to keep the needle straight when it entered the skin. Sugiyama became the personal acupuncturist of Tsunayoshi, the fifth Tokugawa Shogun and his technique was widely adopted.
Houanden Opening times: daily 9:00 to 16:30.
Admission: 200 yen.
Yasaka Shrine:
Every July 14th this shrine near the Houanden holds a festival, and Mikoshi parade through the sea to the opposite side. The temple is dedicated to Gozu-tenno, who is believed to have caused plagues in Kyoto until a temple was built in his honour.
Enoshima was associated with three godesses long before the arrival of Benten (the three are Tagitsuhime no mikoto, Ichikishimahime no mikoto and Tagirihime no mikoto). It is said that the first shrines to these godesses were built on the island by the Emperor Kinmei in the mid-6th century AD. In 853 the priest En-nin (Jikaku Daishi) built a shrine on the site of Nakatsu no miya to move the godesses from the cave, which flooded regularly. The present shrine dates from 1689 and is dedicated to Ichikishimahime no mikoto.
Okutsu-no-miya:
This is the temple to Tagirihime no mikoto (rebuilt 1842). The roof is painted with a famous picture of a turtle by Sakai which supposedly glares at you no matter where you look at it from.Enoshima Botanical Gardens:
Founded by English merchant Samuel Cooking (1842-1914), Enoshima Botanical Garden has a large collection of Camellias. Cooking came to Japan in 1869 and made a fortune in trading herbs, married a Japanese woman and settled. He bought land in his wife's name and built a greenhouse, creating a collection of tropical plants. In 1880 he opened the gardens to the public, and Enoshima Botanical Gardens were born. In 1949 the Municipality of Fujisawa came into posession of the gardens which today contain over 5,000 plants and nearly two hundred species.
Inside the gardens is a 53.7 metre observation tower offering views of the entire island and towards Kamakura and Yokohama.
Opening times: daily 9:00 to 16:00.
Admission: 200 yen.
Address: 2-3-28 Enoshima. Tel: +81 (0)466 22-0209
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| Guardian Demon at Enoshima Daishi |
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| Guardian Demon at Enoshima Daishi |
The first Buddhist structure rebuilt on the island after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, this is a modern temple belonging to the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Located just past the Botanical Garden, the entrance gates are flanked by two bright red and severe looking oni or demons. The building is new and based on a circular plan; the main hall houses a six-meter tall Fudo, the most fearsome of the Buddhist deities that combat evil.
Construction was completed in 1993.
Opening times: daily 9:00 to 18:30.
Admission: free.
Enoshima Caves:
On the far side of the island, down a flight of 220 steps, there are two caves. The western cave splits into two (Kongo or diamond and Taizo or womb). Kongo on the right contains the three goddesses of the island, and Taizo contains a statue to Amaterasu. A statue of the priest Kukai stands where the caves fork. Many stone statues associated with Shingon Buddhism also fill the caves. The eastern cave is dedicated to the dragon or guardian deity of fishermen, and contains a dragon statue. The Hojo regents who governed during the Kamakura Bakufu, after the death of Yoritomo, have a crest of three scales - supposedly three scales from the dragon residing in this cave, given by the dragon to Tokimasa Hojo, the first regent, when he came to pray for his decendants good fortune.
Opening times: daily 9:00 to 17:00 (16:00 November to February).
Admission: 500 yen.
How to get to Enoshima
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| Enoshima/Kamakura Free Pass |
You can also get off the Odakyuu in Fujisawa (about 1 hour 15 minutes from Shinjuku), cross over the road to the Odakyuu Building using the flyover and take the Enoden tram from there (second floor) to Enoshima (20 minutes, a much more interesting ride through the narrow streets, passing just centimeters from the houses). On the return trip, it is better to take the Koukyuu from Enoshima to Shinjuku as you may have trouble getting a seat in the evening, even on weekdays. There is also an express train called the "Romance Car" which runs once every hour or so. This is faster - taking only about one hour from Shinjuku to Enoshima - but there is an express surcharge of about 600 yen.
If you arrive by Enoden tram, then turn left as you come out of the station and follow the narrow lane for about 500 metres under the main road until you come to the causeway. Continue directly ahead to the island - about 10 minutes from the station. If you come by the Odakyuu line, come out of the station and you should see the sea and the island in front of you. Go a little to the left, over the bridge and right onto the causeway. It takes about 5 minutes to the island.
Tours - Japan Discovery
visits Enoshima Island.
Click here for more information regarding when Discovery visits this destination.
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Disclaimer and Request:
Opening hours, prices, booking procedures, schedules etc are subject to changes beyond our control. This site is just a guide, and we advise that you always check and confirm in advance. Suggestions, additions and correction of errors are always welcome. Please contact us.
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