The Enoshima Sea Candle (), also known as the Shonan Observatory Lighthouse, is an

observation tower An observation tower is a tower used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, and woo ...

and

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

located in the Samuel Cocking Garden on the small

tidal island A tidal island is a raised area of land within a waterbody, which is connected to the larger mainland by a natural isthmus or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide, causing the land to switch between being ...

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, Kanagawa, Fujisawa, and is ...

Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 439,728 and a population density of 6300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Fujisawa is in the south-central part of Kan ...

, Japan. The tower has two observation decks, the primary indoor deck and a secondary outdoor deck. The primary deck can be accessed via a central lift or spiral staircase, while the outdoor deck can only be accessed by a second spiral staircase. Completed in 2003, the Sea Candle was built to celebrate the 2002

centenary A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

of the

Enoshima Electric Railway is a private railway operator in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. Its sole line, the Enoshima Dentetsu Line, connects Kamakura Station in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura with Fujisawa Station in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Fujisawa. Both the company ...

. The Sea Candle was constructed next to the Enoshima lighthouse that was built in 1951. On New Year's Eve 2002, a ceremony took place to transfer the lighthouse duty, after which the old lighthouse was dismantled. The observation decks on the Sea Candle opened to the general public on 29 April 2003. In 2004, the lighthouse was awarded a Good Design Award under the category Architecture and Environment Design – Environment Design.

In popular culture

In the 2004 anime,

Elfen Lied is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Weekly Young Jump'' from June 2002 to August 2005, with its 107 chapters collected into twelve volumes. ''El ...

, the Enoshima Sea Candle is a key location for events of the series. In the third season of kanojo, okarishimasu episode 10, the protagonist and his rental girlfriend go there to rest their minds and wash sad thoughts away.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 35.29972, 139.47855, format=dms, type:landmark_region:JP, display=title Buildings and structures in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Transport in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Lighthouses completed in 2003 Lighthouses in Kanagawa Prefecture 2003 establishments in Japan Observation towers in Japan