Enoshima

Tour Stops

Enoshima Island

Connected to the mainland by a 600-meter bridge, Enoshima is a small, hilly island that has been a pilgrimage site for over a thousand years. The approach leads through Benzaiten Nakamise Street, a narrow lane of souvenir shops and seafood stalls, before climbing through a series of torii gates toward Enoshima Shrine. The shrine complex is actually three separate shrines dedicated to the three goddesses of the sea, each at a different elevation on the island. As you ascend, the views over Sagami Bay open up — and on clear days, Mount Fuji appears on the western horizon.

Iwaya Caves

At the far western tip of the island, reached by a scenic coastal path and stone steps carved into the cliffside, the Iwaya Caves are a pair of natural sea caves that have been a site of worship since ancient times. The first cave stretches about 150 meters and contains stone Buddhist statues lit by candles that visitors carry through the passage. The second, smaller cave is dedicated to the dragon deity of Enoshima. These caves are believed to be where Kobo Daishi (the founder of Shingon Buddhism) once meditated in the 9th century.

Samuel Cocking Garden

Named after a British merchant who built a botanical garden here in the 1880s, this hilltop garden sits at the highest point of the island. It surrounds the base of the Sea Candle — Enoshima’s observation lighthouse — which offers 360-degree views of the Shonan coastline, the Tanzawa mountains, and on clear days, both Mount Fuji and the Tokyo skyline. The garden itself features subtropical plants and the excavated remains of Cocking’s original Victorian-era greenhouse foundations.

Kamakura Extension

With remaining time, the tour can extend to Kamakura — just a short ride on the Enoden line that runs along the coastline between the two destinations.