Enoshima Island江ノ島

A small island that protrudes into Sagami Bay. Home to a goddess of legend that is worshipped by many, including celebrities.

Enoshima is a small island at the mouth of the Katase-gawa River that flows into Sagami Bay. The island is approximately four kilometers, and it is linked with the opposite shore of Katase by the 600-meter-long Enoshima-ohashi Bridge.

Once you have crossed the bridge, you will see marine product shops, souvenir shops, inns, and traditional restaurants on the approach to Enoshima-jinja Shrine. Enoshima-jinja Shrine was originally a tutelary shrine where the three goddesses of land, sea transport, and fisheries were enshrined in 552. Hadaka-Benten, or the naked goddess of entertainment in the shrine, is one of the three most famous goddesses in Japan. During the Edo Period, the shrine was crowded with worshippers, as Enoshima Benzaiten had a number of believers at that time. Still today, of course, a number of celebrities visit the shrine to wish for success.

Other tourist sites on Enoshima Island include the Tropical Botanical Garden, the Enoshima Observation Lighthouse, the yacht harbor, and a cave called Enoshima Iwaya, created by approximately 6,000 years of sea erosion. It is believed that a prominent monk Kobo-Daishi (Kukai) and a shogun Minamoto-no-Yoritomo visited this place to train or to pray for victory.

Katase on the opposite shore has developed as the gateway town to Enoshima-jinja Shrine. This is the nearest beach to the metropolitan area and becomes very busy with many visitors every summer. Katase is also popular among anglers as there are many good fishing spots in the area.