Enoshima

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Facts & Figures

The small offshore island Enoshima (circumference of 4km) is a very popular tourist destination and the opposite Katase-Kaiganon shore is the closest seaside resort to Yokohama and Tokyo. The beach, famous for its great surf spots, extends to Kamakura in the east and Chigasaki in the west. Be prepared for a very crowded place during summertime season (1st of July till end of August). Since 2004 I have traveled nearly every year to Japan. The rail pass made my life easier to discover all those amazing places in my favorite country.
 Get Your Pass Now and Save! > The 600 meter long Enoshima-ohashi Bridge provides the main access to the island. Enoshima offers many sightseeing spots like a botanical garden, lighthouse, shrines, caves, aquarium and a nice yacht harbor. You should also consider to buy the Enoshima 1-Day Passport (Enopass) which gives you free access to many attractions, discounts in restaurants and gift shops including a round trip ticket for certain train lines.

• Enopass - valid for 1 day:
• From Shinjuku - 1970 yen (adults), 990 yen (children)
• From Shinyurigaoka - 1670 yen (adults), 840 yen (children)
• From Machida - 1550 yen (adults), 780 yen (children)

My tips for local activities

How about exploring the beautiful city of Kamakura and its historical places with a local guide? The personalized tour by our partner GetYourGuide can take between 4 - 6 hours. For more details check out this page >

History

The history of the famous Enoshima Shrine goes back till 552. Three smaller Shinto shrines, Hetsuno-miya (built in 1206), Nakatsuno-miya (built in 853) and Okutsuno-miya, are collectively called Enoshima-jinja. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to worship the Benzaiten or also called Benten, one of the seven Japanese Gods of Good Fortune. A popular goddess of eloquence, knowledge, good fortune, wealth and music. It is the main deity to go to for entertainers and artists.

Sightseeing spots

Top:

Enoshima Sea Candle - the lighthouse / observation deck is nearly 60m high and offers great views over the area

Samuel Cocking Garden - enjoy the botanical garden founded by the British trader Samuel Cocking

Enoshima-jinja Shrine - a Shinto shrine best known for its rather unusual display of a naked statue of Benzaiten

Iwaya Caves - 2 easy accessible caves are located at the southern coast of Enoshima

Enoshima Aquarium - this modern aquarium offers over 20000 marine creatures, a school of 8000 spotlined sardines, deep-sea fish, jelly fish, sea lion and dolphin shows

Love Bell - popular spot for couples in love, they ring the bell together and put their locks on a fench

Festival & Events (dates can change without notice)

April

Kamakura Matsuri (from 2nd to 3rd Sunday)
The city and its history will be celebrated

August

Bonbori Matsuri (7th till 9th)
Hundreds of lanterns can be found around Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine

September

Reitai Matsuri (14th till 16)
Great festival with its most famous attraction the Japanese horseback archery

October

Fujisawa Enoshima Fireworks Festival (15th)
This firework is enjoyed by thousands of visitors. It is located at the beachfront of Katase Enoshima. Starting time is 6:00 pm till 6:45 pm.