Enoshima

is a small offshore island, about in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River which flows into the Sagami Bay of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Administratively, Enoshima is part of the mainland city of Fujisawa, and is linked to the Katase section of that city by a bridge. Home to some of the closest sandy beaches to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and adjacent coastline are the hub of a local resort area.

History

Classical era

Benzaiten, the goddess of music and entertainment, is enshrined on the island. The island in its entirety is dedicated to the goddess, who is said to have caused it to rise from the bottom of the sea in the sixth century. The island is the scene of the '' Enoshima Engi'', a history of shrines on Enoshima written by the Japanese Buddhist monk Kōkei in 1047 AD.

Modern era

In 1880, after the Shinto and Buddhism separation order of the new Meiji government had made the land available, much of the uplands was purchased by Samuel Cocking, a British merchant, in his Japanese wife's name. He developed a power plant and extensive botanical gardens including a very large greenhouse. Although the original greenhouse was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the botanical garden (now the Samuel Cocking Garden) remains an attraction with over half a million visitors a year.

File:Enoshima in the Sagami province.jpg, "Enoshima in the Sagami Province" by Hokusai (part of the series'' Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji''), circa 1830
File:Hiroshige_Pilgrimage_to_the_Cave_Shrine_of_Benzaiten.jpg, Pilgrimage to the Cave Shrine of Benzaiten by Hiroshige Ando (c. 1850)
File:Enoshima_by_Takahashi_Yuichi_(MOMA_Kamakura_and_Hayama).jpg, Enoshima by Yuichi Takahashi. Between 1876 and 77.
File:Kusakabe_Kimbei_1016_Enoshima.JPG, Photograph by Kimbei Kusakabe. 1890s.
File:Lucky Gods' visit to Enoshima.jpg, Lucky Gods' visit to Enoshima (1869)
File:19 - The Seven Ri Beach.jpg, The Seven Ri Beach

Contemporary era

Enoshima is now the center of Shōnan, a resort area along the coast of Sagami Bay.

Food

*Various forms of rice cracker, including those of octopus ("Maruyaki Tako Senbei") , shrimp, and whitebait a
Asahi Honten
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Transportation

Enoshima is served by three nearby railway stations: Katase-Enoshima Terminus on the Odakyū Enoshima Line, Enoshima Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway ("Enoden"), and Shōnan-Enoshima Station on the Shonan Monorail.

Features

*Enoshima Illuminations - A large-scale light show that runs from December through the end of February. The show is free, but admission to the Samuel Cocking Garden is required.
* Enoshima Sea Candle- located within the Samuel Cocking Garden.
* Enoshima Shrine
*Iwaya Caves - were formed by the erosion of waves in ancient times. It has also been a place for Buddhist monks to train. The Iwaya caves consists of the First Cave ( in length) and the Second Cave ( in length). These caves can be entered by purchasing a ticket.
*Lover's Hill/Bell of Ryuren - A romantic place where lovers post messages with padlocks, a mini-version of the love locks in Paris.
*Luminous Way - A set of three illuminated escalators which take visitors from the base of the Enoshima Shrine to the Samuel Cocking Garden, bypassing a series of long and steep stairways. Fees required.
* Samuel Cocking Garden- located at the island's summit.

File:Enoshima_eastside_beach_02.jpg, Enoshima
File:Enoshima.JPG, Enoshima yacht harbor
File:Enoshima - various scenes - 2022 Oct 31.webm, thumbtime=2, Various scenes of the island, 2022
File:Shonan View from the Enoshima Sea Candle 2024 Dec 24 various 18 16 54 096000.jpeg, Looking towards Fujisawa from Enoshima Sea Candle
File:Mt. Fuji from Hiroyama Ｐａｒｋ (Zushi).jpg, Viewed from Miura Peninsula.
File:1 Chome Enoshima, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa-ken 251-0036, Japan - panoramio.jpg, Enoshima Shrine
File:Iwaya_Caves_-_Enoshima,_Japan_-_DSC07964.jpg, Iwaya Caves
File:Enoshima - Luminous Way.jpg, alt=An escalator illuminated with space-themed lighting in the background., Luminous Way - The first of a set of 3 escalators

Sport

Enoshima was the Olympic harbor for the 1964 Summer Olympics. Enoshima was also used as the sailing venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Accessibility

While the bridge and town area of Enoshima are wheelchair accessible, anything past the main gate of the shrine (including the observation tower, caves, etc.) is inaccessible to those with mobility difficulties.

Notes

References

* Johnson, H. (2022).
Enoshima: Signifying Island Heritage Across Space and Place
. ''Okinawan Journal of Island Studies'' 3 (1): 3–20.
* Papinot, E. (1910). ''Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan''. 1972 printing. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company. .
*

External links

Fujisawa City Tourism

{{Authority control

Venues of the 1964 Summer Olympics
Venues of the 2020 Summer Olympics
Olympic sailing venues
Olympic surfing venues
Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Islands of Kanagawa Prefecture
Shoals of Japan
Prefecturally designated scenic spots
Designated historic sites of Kanagawa Prefecture
Cat islands in Japan