Every winter, Enoshima transforms from a relaxed seaside destination into one of the most beautiful places near Tokyo to visit after dark. The island’s famous Sea Candle lighthouse becomes the centrepiece of a spectacular illumination festival, with thousands of lights stretching across the surrounding garden. Glowing tunnels, illuminated trees and colourful installations create an atmosphere … Read more
Enoshima is one of the most enjoyable family day trips from Tokyo, with an aquarium, sandy beaches, scenic trains, ocean views and a small island filled with shrines and winding streets. Children can watch jellyfish drifting through illuminated tanks, build sandcastles beside the sea, cross a long bridge to an island and look out over … Read more
Just a few minutes from Katase-Enoshima Station, with the beaches of Sagami Bay on one side and Enoshima Island in the distance, New Enoshima Aquarium is one of the most enjoyable indoor attractions along Japan’s Shonan coast. Known locally as Enosui, the aquarium combines enormous fish tanks, beautifully illuminated jellyfish, penguins, sea turtles and exhibits … Read more
You don’t need to travel to Lake Kawaguchi or Hakone to see Mount Fuji. On a clear day, Japan’s most famous mountain can also be seen rising above the coastline from Enoshima and Kamakura, just over an hour from Tokyo. The Shonan coast offers one of the most distinctive Mount Fuji landscapes in Japan. Instead … Read more
The approach to Enoshima Shrine begins beside the sea, but it does not take long before the atmosphere changes. Beyond the bridge connecting Enoshima to the mainland, a narrow shopping street climbs towards a bright vermilion gate. Stone steps disappear into the wooded hillside, and the noise of the coast gradually gives way to one … Read more
At the far western end of Enoshima Island, beyond the busy shopping street, hilltop shrines and observation lighthouse, a narrow coastal walkway leads into two ancient sea caves. Inside, the sound of the ocean fades behind dark stone walls. Passages carved by centuries of wave erosion lead towards Buddhist statues, religious objects and a legendary … Read more
The first thing you notice from the top of Enoshima Sea Candle is how much coastline there is to see. Beaches stretch towards Kamakura, the hills of the Izu Peninsula rise beyond Sagami Bay, and on a clear day, Mount Fuji appears above the water to the west. It is an impressive setting for an … Read more
There are two very different ways to enjoy a train journey around Kamakura and Enoshima. One follows the coastline in traditional green-and-cream carriages, passing beaches, narrow streets and historic neighbourhoods. The other hangs beneath an elevated track, sweeping around curves and through the hills above the suburbs. Both are attractions in their own right, but … Read more