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After leaving Kôtokuin, we went back to Hase station and took the Enoden
again to
Shichirigahama (七里ヶ浜)
for lunch. It's the third stop from Hase, about 11 minutes, and the fare
is JP¥220, Shichirigahama isn't a major tourist station, but there were
still plenty of people getting off at lunchtime. That's because this
area is packed with seafront retaurants, cafés and coffee shops. Even
without many 'sights', the food alone draws a crowd – us included! |
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The river mouth at Shichirigahama – the weather
was glorious! |
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You can see Mt Fuji from here too |
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Sunlight glittering on the sea |
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Our lunch spot – Double Doors NAVY |
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No one's quite sure where the name 'Shichirigahama' (literally 'seven miles
shore') come from. Whether you go by the coastline's length, the
distance from Tsurugaoka Hachimangû, the old ritsuryô units or the Kantô-mile,
none of them add up neatly to 'seven miles'. Perhaps 'seven miles' is
just a figurative way of saying 'a very long' coastline. The open sea
and strong waves make it a local hotspot for surfing and watersports. |
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For visitors, Shichirigahama is known for its cluster of beach-side
restaurants and cafés, including the one we tried: Double Doors. They
actually have two branches. The main one is closer to Shichirigahama
station, but it was closed for refurbishment, so we went to Double Doors
NAVY, between Shichirigahama and Kamakura Kôkô Mae (鎌倉高校前,
literally 'In front of Kamakura Senior High School'). The menus are much
the same, but in my view NAVY has the better view. |
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The restaurant is on the second floor of a
seafront deck. Straight ahead is Sagami Bay; on the diagonal, Mt
Fuji |
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The sea view from our table |
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Why did I prefer the view at NAVY? Both face the sea, but the main
branch sits a bit further back, with a small garden and a car park in
between, and it's on the first floor, so the outlook is more limited.
NAVY is on the second floor of a deck right by the water, so the sea
view is properly wide-open. There are only about ten tables in all –
quite small – and we were lucky to nab the last one. |
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You order by scanning a QR code on your phone. That's normal in Hong
Kong and the UK, but this was the first time we'd come across it in
Japan. Handy though – it avoids languages issues, and the system lets
you switch to English. Todd has snow crab spaghetti in a tomato cream
sauce with Italian bread, plus a lemongrass and butterfly herbs tea
(JP¥3,250). Pasta with bread is a lot of carbs – very on brand for
Japan. I went for wagyû steak with garlic fried rice and an iced tea
(JP¥2,800). Both came with a small starter salad. |
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Inside the restaurant – not many seats! |
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Starter salad and iced tea |
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Lemongrass and butterfly herbs tea |
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Snow crab tomato cream spaghetti |
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Wagyû steak with garlic fried rice |
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Minegahara Signal Station (峰ヶ原信号場)
– trains passing each other on the loop |
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Class 2000 fleet heading for Kamakura |
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I'd expected a trendy, photo-friendly place like this to be style over
substance, but the food was a pleasant surprise. The steak was cooked
just right – nicely seared on the outside, tender within. With Wagyû, as
long as you don't overcook it, it's hard to go wrong. Even with local
Angus in the UK, a bit of salt and pepper and a good pan does the trick.
The stand-out for me, though, was the garlic fried rice. Even though it
was made with sticker pearl rice, the grains were separate, bouncy and
chewy – on par with what you'd get a smart teppanyaki place. |
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You can pay by card directly in the ordering system; if you're paying
cash you settle at the counter. As the restaurant sits between two
stations, we walked on to Kamakura Kôkô Mae station rather than
backtracking to Shichirigahama. On th way we passed Minegahara Signal
Station and watched a Class 20 and a Class 2000 waiting to pass. Enoden
more or less runs at peak capacity all day – every 14 minutes – with
trains meeting at every passing station or loop. |
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The wildly popular 'Slam Dunk Level Crossing' |
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Screenshot of the crossing as shown in the
'Slam Dunk' anime (source:
YouTube) |
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Kamakura Kôkô Mae station |
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Enoden's global fame among overeas visitors is largely thanks to the
anime 'Slam Dunk'. Although it was already huge across East Asia in the
1990s, Kamakura didin't become an international hotspot back then –
limited information flow and different travel habits meant it remained
mostly a domestic destionation. 'Seichi
Juneri' (聖地巡禮, Anime
pilgrimage trips) only really took off in the 2010s, and the internet
and media coverage helped turn real-life locations into must-see spots. |
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The crossing's official name is 'Level Crossing No.1 in front of
Kamakura Senior High School ' (鎌倉高校前
1 号踏切). For
locals, its fame isn't all good news. Crowds jamming a narrow junction
are a safety risk to begin with; many visitors won't leave until a train
passes, making it even more congested. Some people even stand in the
middle of the road to get their shot. The city authority has to hire
extra marshals to keep order, and with few shops nearby there's little
economic benefit. It's a textbook case of overtourism. |
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A Class 1000 to Kamakura – the same train we'd
taken earlier from Kamakura to Hase! |
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Here comes ours – a Class 500 towards Fujisawa
(藤沢) |
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Soon after we entered Kamakura Kôkô Mae station, a train towards
Kamakura arrived. With Minegahara Signal Station just behind us, that
meant our train would be along shortly. Leaving the seafront, the line
ducks back into residential area, and after Koshigoe (腰越)
the train runs in the roadway. The tracks are in the middle and, in
theory, cars use the sides – but on many stretches there isn't enough
width for a train and two cars at once. In those spots the train has
priority and cars wait at wider sections. |
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Once the tram-style street running ends and the line returns to its own
tracks, you reach our destination: Enoshima (江ノ島)
station. The ride is only about four minutes and costs JP¥200 for
adults. Note the direction when boarding at Enoshima: each platform has
its own ticket gate, and the internal level crossing that once linked
them was closed when Enoden introduced centralised traffic control (CTC)
in 2024. In other words, the two paid areas are no longer connected
inside the gates. |
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The walkway towards Enoshima |
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Mt Fuji from the walkway |
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A stone monument marked 'Scenic
and Historic Site: Enoshima' in Japanese |
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Enoshima station isn't on the island at all but on Katase Coast (片瀬海岸).
When it opened in 1902 it was called Katase station. In 1929, just
before Odakyû opened its Enoshima Line, Katase station was renamed
Enoshima to strengthen its position as the main gateway to the island,
and Odakyû had to settle for Katase Enoshima station. In practice Odakyû
is the closer of the two: it's about 900 metres (15 minutes) to the
bronze torii gate on the island, while Enoden's station is roughly 1.2
km (20 minutes). |
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From Enoshima station, Subana Dôri (すばな通り)
shopping street runs for about 450 metres. It's lined with shops selling
Shônan (湘南)
specialities – rice crackers, whitebait and so on – as well as places
serving local dishes like Shirasudon (whitebait rice bowl). We passed a
goldfish-scooping stall, which Todd wanted to pop into, but I was
distraced by a
Crayon Shin-chan (クレヨンしんちゃん)
gachapon machine next door. Only JP¥400 a try – cheaper than Hong
Kong. I'm not really into anime, but I've got a soft spot for Shin-chan! |
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The pedestrian Enoshima Bentembashi and the
parallel road bridge Enoshima Ôhashi |
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A hawk on the lamp-post |
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After Subana Dôri, there's a seawall footpath of about 300 metres
leading to the two bridges that connect Katase coast and the island:
Enoshima Ôhashi (江ノ島大橋)
for vechicles and Enoshima Bentembashi (江ノ島弁天橋)
for pedestrians. In the Edo period, a sandbar linked Katase and Enoshima;
at low tide people could walk across the shallows. The first Bentembashi
was built in 1953, named after Benzaiten, the deity worshipped on the
island. Enoshima Shônan Port hosted the sailing events for the 1964
Tokyo Olympics, so the road bridge Ôhashi was built for vehicles. |
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Once on the island, you first pass a hot spring club, Enospa (Enoshima
Island Spa). Beside it stands the
Bronze
Torii of Enoshima Jinja (江島神社),
the 'front gate' for worshippers of Enoshima's Benzaiten. The torii was
originally wooden, then rebuilt in bronze in 1821. Its plaque reads 'Enoshima
Daimyôjin' (江嶋大明神).
When the Mongol invasions were repelled in the Kamakura period, it was
attributed to divine protection, and Emperor Go-Uda (後宇多天皇)
later granted an imperial plaque in thanks. The current calligraphy is
based on that plaque, with the lines fomred like snakes – messengers of
Benzaiten. The torii was designated a Fujisawa Municipal Cultural
Property in 1997. |
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Enospa at the island entrance |
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The Bronze Torii of Enoshima Jinja |
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Beyond the Bronze Torii is the shrine approach,
Enoshima Benzaiten Nakmisedôri (江の島弁財天仲見世通り),
about 200 metres long and crammed with souvenir shops, snacks and gifts.
You'll find Shirasudon everywhere, and freshly pressed octopus senbei
(rice trackers) too – the smell of grilled squid fills the street. As
it's the only route up the hill, the crowds are constant. Many shops
blast the Slam Dunk theme song 'Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai' (君が好きだと叫びたい,
literally 'I Want to Shout "I like You"'), a reminder of how much the
anime has boosted tourism in Shônan. |
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Notice how both Enoshima and Asakusa use Nakamisedôri for their approach
streets? 'Naka' means 'central', and 'Mise' means 'shop', so Nakamise is
essentially 'central shopping street'. From the Kamakura period,
Enoshima became a major centre for Benzaiten worship, and as pilgrim
numbers grew, teahouses, inns and souvenir sprang up along the approach.
Many ukiyoe (浮世絵, kind
of traditional Japanese woodblock prints and paintings) depict these
scences, including 'Sôshû
Enoshima' (相州江の嶌). |
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The shrine approach – Enoshima Benzaiten
Nakamisedôri – like Asakura's it's lined with shops |
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The shrine name stone, the Vermilion Torii and
the Zuishinmon gate behind |
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The street still keeps much of its Edo-period look. At the end stands
the shrine's
Vermilion Torii (朱の鳥居)
and
Zuishinmon (瑞心門),
the main gate. Enoshima Jinja is essentially the island's heart – before
tourism developed, visiting Benzaiten (here syncretised with the three
Munakata goddesses) was the main reason to come. The current Vermilion
Torii was rebuilt and donated in 1936 by the Yamada style koto great
master , Hayashi Toshiko (林敏子).
Zuishinmon was designed to evoke the Dragon Palace, its name wishing
that visitors come with a pure and refreshed heart. |
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Enoshima is not just and island but a hill. From the approach to the top
shrine hall Okutsunomiya (奥津宮)
is roughly 900 steps. For pilgrims, stairs are part of the devotion; for
sightseers there's an easier option:
the
Enoshima Escar (江の島エスカー,
escalators) There are three sections from the approach to the summit,
and they're not free: JP¥200 for the first, JP¥80 each for the second
and third (JP¥360 in total). You can pay by ticket or IC card (Suica).
There are also money-saving combo passes covering other attractions. |
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Entrance to the first Escar |
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A rare breed of escalator! |
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We bought a bundle of the three Escars + Enoshima Sea Candle (the
lighthouse observatory; regular price JP¥500) for JP¥700, saving JP¥160.
The Escar went into service in 1959 – the first outdoor escalators in
Japan. In 1949, Enoden realised rail revenue alone wasn't enough, so it
began developing attractions on the island, including taking on the
concession for the Samuel Cocking Garden at the summit and building a
lighthouse. As pilgrim numbers to Okutsunomiya waned, an automatic
uphill conveyance was proposed. |
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The original idea was an open-air escalator so visitors could enjoy the
view as they ascended, but this was rejected by the Cultural Properties
Protection Committee (now the Agency for Cultural Affairs) and
conservative locals, as it would spoil the landscape. It was finally
approved as a tunnel installation. Note it's up only – you still take
the steps down. Because it's one-way, they named it Escar rather than
'escalator' (Enoden reckoned only a two-way system deserved that name –
even though the root 'escalate' is upward anyway!). |
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Combined ticket for the escalators and Enoshima
Sea Candle |
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At the top of the first Escar is Hetsunomiya |
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At the top of the first section is
Hetsunomiya (辺津宮)
and the Zeniarai Hakuryûô (銭洗白龍王,
White Dragon King for money-washing). Hetsunomiya is the lowest of
Enoshima Jinja's shrine halls and enshrines Tagitsuhime (田寸津比賣命,
one of the three Munakata goddesses – hence it's also called the 'Lower
Shrine'. Most prayers and rituals are held here. Its offertory box used
to be special – not the usual rectangular chest but a wooden
purse-shaped carving, a local Sagamibori (相模雕)
piece donated by merchants. For some reason, today there was only a
standard box out front. |
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Dragons have long symbolised clouds, rain and wind, and dragon worship
is tied to mountains, lakes, seas, rivers and marshes – deities of
water. In Indian myth, Benzaiten is a river goddess and closely linked
with the white dragon. Zeniarai literally means 'washing money', but
actually it means washing away impurity of mind and body to receive
divine favour. Worshippers place coins or notes in a bamboo basket and
'wash' them in the spring; using or keeping the washed money is believed
to bring good fortune. |
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I've already mentioned Benzaiten's link to the three Munakata goddesses
in the articles about
Mishima Taisha and
Tsurugaoka Hachimangû. Under the Meiji
separation of Shintô and Buddhism, Benzaiten – as a non-Shintô
Indian goddess – escaped destruction but was moved to the Hôanden (奉安殿,
Treasure Hall) beside Hetsunomiya, which houses the eight-armed
Benzaiten (八臂弁財天) and
Myôon Benzaiten (妙音弁財天),
counted among Japan's three great Benzaiten images. Next door stands a
suborinate shrine of Enoshima Jinja,
Yasaka Shrine, dedicated to Takehayasusanô (建速須佐之男,
also named Susanô no Mikoto,
素戔鳴尊), father of the three goddesses (their origin being the
pieces of his ten-span sword). |
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In the Edo-period, Yasaka Shrine was known as Tennôsha (天王社);
the modern name dates from Meiji. Susanô became a mythic hero for
slaying the eight-headed serpent. In the syncretic era he was identified
with Gozu Tennô (牛頭天王).
Tradition says Susanô was once enshrined at Koshigoe on the mainland but
drifted across in rough seas and was fished up by islanders, after which
he was worshipped here. Every July, the shrine holds its annual
Shinkôsai (神幸祭, also
called the Tennôsai, 天王祭),
the only summer festival in the Shônan area. |
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Just a reminder: it's the Year of the Snake |
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Entrance to the second escalator |
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Beside Yasaka are the Inari-Akiba shrines, dedicated to Toyouke-hime (豊受気比売)
and Hinokagutsuchikami (火之迦具土神),
deities of food and fire. Frequent fires in the Edo period led to nearby
small shrines – Akiba Inari (秋葉稲荷),
Yosanburô Inari (与三郎稲荷),
Ryôgô Inari (漁護稲荷) – being
consolidated here. Follow the signs for under 100 metres and you reach
the entance to the second Escar. This section seemed busier than the
first – perhaps those who started on the steps switched to the Escar
after getting tired. Quite a few people tapped in with IC cards rather
than using the combo ticket. |
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At the top,
Nakatsunomiya (中津宮)
– dedicated to Ichikishimahime (市寸島比売／市杵島姫)
– is right ahead. Also called the 'Upper Shrine', it was founded in 853
by Jakaku Daishi (慈覺大師,
Ennin), a priest of the Tendai school in Japan. The fifth shogun in Edo
period, TOKUGAWA Tsunayoshi (徳川綱吉),
rebuilt it in 1689 in the Gongenzukuri style, consisting of the main
sanctuary, the offering hall and the worship hall. It was fully restored
in 1996, bringing back its vivid Edo-era vermilion colours. Along the
approach stand a pair of stone lanterns donated by the Edo kabuki
theatres Ichimuraza (市村座)
and Nakamuraza (中村座). |
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Nakatsunomiya and stone lanterns along the
approach |
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Entrance to the third Escar |
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From the hilltop Miami Beach Square viewpoint –
Katase Higashihama (片瀬東浜) |
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Kamakura and Zushi in the distance |
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At the far side of Nakatsunomiya is the third Escar. Not far beyond its
exit is the
Samuel Cocking Garden (サムエル・コッキング苑).
This British merchant Samuel Cocking was born in Ireland and grew up in
Melbourne, Australia. He came to Japan in 1869 at the age of 24, dealing
in exports of Japanese antiques and art, and imports of chemicals,
medicines and photographic equipment. He didn't just sell cameras; he
help foster technical exchanges between Japanese and foreign
photographers, making him a key figure in 19th-century Japanese
photography. |
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In 1872 he married a Japanese woman, Miyata Riki (宮田リキ),
and – using her name – purchased former temple land on the island summit
that had been left vacant after the anti-Buddhist measures of the time.
There he built a villa and greenhouse and created a mixed
Japanese-Western botanical garden. The greenhouse covered 600 metres
square, one of the most advanced in Japan then. It was destroyed in the
1923 Great Kantô Earthquake. The site lay derelict until the City of
Fujisawa bought it in 1948, opening it the next year as the Fujasawa
Municipal Enoshima Tropical Botanical Garden, later renamed when Enoden
took over management. |
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Sundial – this was taken at 14:17; belind it
are the remains of the original greenhouse |
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Enoshima Sea Candle (lighthouse and observation
tower) |
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The garden is always free before 17:00. When evening events are held –
such as the Winter Illumination in this season – an extra fee (JP¥500)
applies after 17:00. Look out for combo tickets if they suit your plans.
If there are no events, entry remains free in the evening. The Winter
Illumination runs from late November to late February every year and is
known as 'Shônan no Hôseki' (Jewel of Shônan). |
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Too boost island tourism, Enoden didn't just take over the garden; it
also built a lighthouse. The current tower,
Enoshima Sea Candle (江の島シーキャンドル),
is the second-generation structure. Built in 2002 to mark Enoden's
centenary, it was first called the Enoshima Observation Lighthouse. On
1st January 2003 a handover ceremony transferred duties from the
original tower, and the observation decks opened to the public on 29th
April the same year. In October 2010 a public naming campaign settled on
'Enoshima Sea Candle', inspired by its distinctive shape. |
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From the tower – Katase Higashihama and
Shichirigahama |
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Katase Nishihama (片瀬西浜)
and the Shônan coast |
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Further out – Chigasaki (茅ヶ崎)
and Hiratsuka (平塚) |
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And of course, Mt Fuji! |
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At the base of the Sea Candle there's a café and a gift shop. After
ticket checks you can take the lift to the indoor observation deck (or
use the spiral stairs). The indoor deck gives you a 360-degree view
through the floor-to-ceiling glass – ideal if you're not great with
heights. For the best vistas, climb one more flight to the open-air deck
on the roof; nothing in the way, just sea breezes in your face –
brilliant. |
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The original lighthouse was the Yomiuri Peace Tower (讀賣平和塔),
sponsored by the
Yomiuri Shimbun (讀賣新聞).
It stood east of the present tower and was built in 1951 using parts
from the Yomiuri Parachute Tower – a ride dismantled from Futako
Tamagawaen (二子玉川園)
amusement park in Tokyo after WWII. That tower let visitors experience a
parachute drop and, during the wartime, doubled as soft-sell promotion
for paratroopers. In fact, until 1942 the army also used it for
parachute practice – no doubt part of why it was removed after the war. |
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The Winter Illumination 'Hikari no Tunnel'
(Tunnel of Light). It wasn't even dark yet and the lights were
already on! |
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Enoshima station level crossing: Class 1000 on
the left towards Kamakura; Class 20 on the right to Fujisawa |
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We were knackered by this point, so we didn't continue on to
Okutsunomiya. It's only about 600 metres from the Sea Candle, but most
of it is stairs – there and back takes it out of you. In hindsight, we
could have gone down on the Okutsunomiya side and taken the ferry,
Bentenmaru back to the Katase seawall – one for next time! And a
reminder: if you're travelling with elderly relatives or anyone with
mobility issues, don't assume the Escars make it easy – they're uphill
only; you still have to take the steps down. |
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We left Enoshima and retraced our route to Enoshima station. Todd
assumed we'd take the Enoden again... but I'd said my Kamakura plan
included the Shônan Monorail as well. In 2019, when we visited Germany,
the Wuppertal Schwebebahn, the world's oldest suspension railway, was
out of service, so we missed the experience. We weren't going to miss
the suspended monorail this time. |
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Shônan Enoshima station (Shônan Monorail) |
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Shônan Monorail fleet Series 5000 |
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Nearly at Ôfuna – you can see the Ôfuna Kannon
in the distance |
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The Shônan Monorail is one of only two suspended monorails still
operating in Japan (the other is the Chiba Urban Monorail). Germany
pioneered and uses the system most extensively. Shônan Monorail isn't
run by a traditional railway company – its major shareholders are
Mitsubishi group companies (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi
Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric), as the line was built in the 1970s
as a testbed to introduce suspended-rail technology. |
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It uses the French SAFEGE system, with trains hanging under an enclosed
tracks – less affected by weather, capable of steep gradients of over
6-7%, and with a low centre of gravity for tighter curves. Because
monorails take up less ground space than steel-wheel railways or rubber-tyre
systems, they suit built-up areas. The route threads through hills and
along roads in residential and commercial districts – ideal conditions
for trialling a suspended system. |
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Arriving at Ôfuna station |
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The Kannon statue seen at Ôfuna |
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JR East fleet Series E231 (Shônan-Shinjuku
Line) |
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The line of Shônan Monorail is 6.6 km long, single track with passing
places, and has eight stations, four of which have loops for trains to
pass. The first section (Ôfuna to Nishi Kamakura) opened in 1970, with
full opening in 1971. The current fleet Series 5000 is the fourth
generation: three-coach sets, seven sets in total. Trains generally run
every 7-8 per hour; end-to-end take about 15 minutes, and the full-line
fare is JP¥320 – the fastest and best-value way from Enoshima to Ôfuna. |
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As you approach Ôfuna (大船),
you can see the Ôfuna Kannon (大船観音)
from afar, and it's clearly visible from the station too. We changed
there to JR's Shònan-Shinjuku Line back to Shinjuku. Northbound services
use several platforms at Ôfuna – 1-2 and 5-7 – with Platform 5 used most
often and Platform 7 least. Best to check the concourse boards to see
which platform the next departure is from. |
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Dinner tonight: Ramen Hôsenka (らあ麺
鳳仙花) – Kinmedai fish-bone stock |
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Back in Hong Kong I spotted a Shin-chan from
the same gachapon series – had to get it! |
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After a short rest at the hotel, we went out for dinner. We'd missed out
on ramen earlier in the trip, so I searched
Tabelog for nearby
recommendations and chose Ramen Hôsenka, which specialises in Kinmedai
fish-bone stock. It's milder than shôyu or tonkotsu. Todd thought it
wasn't rich enough; I quite liked it – since it's made from fish bones
rather than whole fish like a paitan (白湯),
it's naturally lighter, but still has a nice savoury sweetness. The
noodles are made with whole-wheat flour – springy and chewy. |
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Most of the negative reviews online were about the service. I'd agree it
was nothing special – the staff felt a bit distant – but not terrible.
The seating is tight and the layout a bit like a fast-casual chain such
as Yoshinoya. It's clearly designed for quick turnover rather than
lingering, so don't expect a loungey atmosphere. |
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As for the gachapon: on Enoshima I got Bo-chan from the Shin-chan
tricycle series, plus the crocodile figure that clips onto the trike.
Back in Hong Kong, I spotted a Shin-chan in a toy shop and played again
on the spot. At HK$48, it about 2.5× the Japanese price, but getting
Shin-chan instantly felt worth it. |
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