According to the guidebook, Enoshima is a small island at the end of a sandbar that reaches seaward from the Shonan beach, connected to the mainland by a bridge-causeway and lying within Fujisawa city in Kanagawa Prefecture. Guidebooks describe Enoshima as the defining landmark and symbol of the Shonan coastline, the stretch of sea coast running south and west of Kamakura.
What to see on the island
According to the guidebook, the island's main attractions include Enoshima Shrine, an observation lighthouse called the Sea Candle, the Samuel Cocking Garden — a garden laid out on the estate of a Meiji-era British merchant — and natural sea caves, all spread across the island. According to the guidebook, the Samuel Cocking Garden takes its name from that British merchant who operated there during the Meiji era, and it is formally associated with the Sea Candle complex. Guidebooks describe the entrance to the island, immediately after the bridge, as a covered market lane lined with souvenir shops and restaurants that leads inward toward the interior.
Beyond the market lane
Guidebooks describe Enoshima beyond its tourist zone as keeping a lived-in, residential character, where ordinary homes share the island with shrines, eateries, and shops, giving it the feeling of an actual small town.
Save Mount Fuji for a clear-day sunset
Guidebooks describe the view from Enoshima on clear days as taking in Mount Fuji framed by the Shonan coastline, a view particularly celebrated at sunset, when Fuji's silhouette stands against the evening sky.
Ride the Enoden for the view itself
According to the guidebook, the Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway) is a small, atmospheric railway running between Kamakura and Fujisawa by way of Hase, Shichirigahama, and Enoshima, and it is regarded as an iconic image of the Shonan area in its own right. Guidebooks describe the stretch between Inamuragasaki and Koshigoe, where the tracks run close to the shoreline, as giving passengers an unobstructed view of the ocean directly from their seats. According to the guidebook, the Enoden gained international recognition after a coastal level crossing on its route appeared in the opening sequence of the globally popular anime SLAM DUNK, and the spot now draws fans from overseas seeking out the location.
The wider Shonan setting
Guidebooks describe the Shonan coastline, of which Enoshima is the symbolic center, as a place that grew into a hub of postwar Japanese beach and youth culture and that still draws a young, trend-conscious crowd, including newcomers seeking a relaxed life within commuting reach of Tokyo.
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