Enoshima

Enoshima
Native name:
江の島
A 1988 aerial image of Enoshima
Interactive map of Enoshima
Geography
Coordinates35°17′59″N 139°28′49″E / 35.29972°N 139.48028°E / 35.29972; 139.48028
ArchipelagoJapanese archipelago
Administration
Japan
Demographics
Ethnic groupsJapanese
Additional information
Time zone

Enoshima (Japanese: 江の島) is a small offshore island, about 4 km (2.5 mi) 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, and is linked to the Katase section of that city by a 389-metre-long (1,276 ft) bridge. Home to some of the closest sandy beaches to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and adjacent coastline are the hub of a local resort area.

History

Classical era

Benzaiten, the goddess of music and entertainment, is enshrined on the island. The island in its entirety is dedicated to the goddess, who is said to have caused it to rise from the bottom of the sea in the sixth century. The island is the scene of the Enoshima Engi, a history of shrines on Enoshima written by the Japanese Buddhist monk Kōkei in 1047 AD.

Modern era

In 1880, after the Shinto and Buddhism separation order of the new Meiji government had made the land available, much of the uplands was purchased by Samuel Cocking, a British merchant, in his Japanese wife's name. He developed a power plant and extensive botanical gardens including a very large greenhouse. Although the original greenhouse was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the botanical garden (now the Samuel Cocking Garden) remains an attraction with over half a million visitors a year.

Contemporary era

Enoshima is now the center of Shōnan, a resort area along the coast of Sagami Bay.

Food

Transportation

Enoshima is served by three nearby railway stations: Katase-Enoshima Terminus on the Odakyū Enoshima Line, Enoshima Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway ("Enoden"), and Shōnan-Enoshima Station on the Shonan Monorail.

Features

Sport

Enoshima was the Olympic harbor for the 1964 Summer Olympics. Enoshima was also used as the sailing venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Accessibility

While the bridge and town area of Enoshima are wheelchair accessible, anything past the main gate of the shrine (including the observation tower, caves, etc.) is inaccessible to those with mobility difficulties.

Notes

  1. ↑ Papinot (1972:82)
  2. ↑ "An award-winning winter illumination of Enoshima". Travel Enoshima. February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "About Enoshima - Kamakura Travel Guide | Planetyze". Planetyze. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  4. ↑ "Love Bell: Locked in Love in Japan". Japan Talk. June 16, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Daytrip to Enoshima from Tokyo". Gourmet Flyer. January 15, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ 1964 Summer Olympics official report. Archived July 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Volume 1. Part 1. p. 115.
  7. ↑ "東京五輪、26競技の会場決定 自転車・サッカー除き". Nihon Keizai Shimbun. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Enoshima - Accessible Japan | アクセシブルジャパン". Accessible Japan | アクセシブルジャパン. Retrieved 2018-04-12.

References