It is said that Benzaiten (goddess of music and entertainment) caused the island to rise from the bottom of the sea in sixth century. The goddess is enshrined on Enoshima, which is dedicated to her in its entirety. On entry to the island, you are faced with a narrow slope, flanked on either side by shops selling snacks and bits of tourist tat. At the top of the street, down a sharp turn to the left, we found a little ceramics shop selling beautiful chinaware and gifts. In baskets outside, they had small items for as little as 100 Yen apiece, such as dishes painted with animated coy carp, and chopstick rests in a variety of designs.
We bought an all-inclusive ticket for the island for 1,000 Yen, which gave us entry to all the tourist spots as well as free use of the escalators. For a small island, it was quite steep around the middle and the escalators were very useful in getting from one level to the next. The first level boasted a very pretty little shrine, where people were lining up to pay their respects. A dainty, picturesque pond greeted us as we got off the escalator, and we watched people fill the little pond-side baskets with coins which they then washed in the clear water. People were taking coins and trying to throw them into a box at the foot of a carved dragon – the flings that failed glinting in the water.
The next level up gave us wonderful views across the bay, and we spent ages trying to take the perfect photograph of magnificent eagles that were slowly circling in the treetops overhead. At the top of the island, our ticket gave us entry to the Samuel Cocking Park. The British merchant (who arrived in Sagami Bay by accident when a terrible typhoon almost shipwrecked him there) bought the land in 1880, and developed an extensive botanical garden (10,000 square meters) and greenhouse –the biggest in Japan at the time. After Samuel Cocking died in 1914, the botanical garden went to ruin, and the greenhouse was destroyed in the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923. In 2002, during reconstruction work on Enoshima, the brick foundation and other parts were discovered. In April 2003, a restored greenhouse was opened as part of the new garden, and the garden now has over 500,000 visitors per year.
Within the Samuel Cocking Park is the Enoshima Tower. Known as the ‘Enoshima Sea Candle’, it was built in 2003 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Enoshima Electric Railway. With a height of 40 meters, the observation tower is 119.6m above sea level and offers panoramic views both out to sea and of Sagami bay. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji in the distance.
Also included with our ticket was entrance to the Iwaya caves. These ancient caves on the west side of the island are well-known. The first record of the Iwaya in a historical document was in 552 AD. In the time of Emperor Kinmei, a shrine was built in the caves and they became a popular place for worship for hundreds of years. However, in 1971 there was an accident caused by falling rocks which resulted in the caves being closed for more than 20 years. The caves were known as a scary, forbidden place, and while adventurous youngsters would scramble to the mouth of the caves, none were brave enough to enter. In 1993 the caves were repaired and are now one of the most visited parts of the island. Sightseers are given candles to guide them in the gloomy grottos, making the whole place feel very atmospheric with candle light glinting off the pools of water. Legend has it that, within the cave, there is a secret passageway that links all the way to Mt. Fuji. There is also a legend about a heavenly maiden and a dragon with five heads. The dragon is said to have tormented the villagers, who wished for someone to stop the beast’s evildoing. One day there was a fierce earthquake, and when it stopped, a heavenly maiden appeared. The dragon was so taken with her that he asked for her hand in marriage, but the maiden was not impressed with the dragon’s evil deeds. So, in order to gain his desired bride, the dragon ceased his wickedness to marry her.
On our way back down the hill we stopped off at the ‘Shonan Burger’ joint, where you can get a burger stuffed with Shirasu – dried baby anchovies. The burger patty is called satsuma-age – it’s made of fish that is pressed into a chewy fishcake, with the consistency of tofu. While it wasn’t the most delicious of snacks, it was certainly a local experience, and probably healthier than a burger from KFC!
That concludes our trip to Enoshima Island. What a lovely surprise that day was – not least of all for the marvellous weather. Particularly with living in a big city, what I like best on the weekend is finding a place where I really feel as if I’m apart from my daily routines, and if that can be done on a sun-kissed island, all the better.
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