A Wonderful Trip to Enoshima by Dennis

Katase Enoshima station

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I didn’t have a clue about traveling spots in Kanagawa, until I picked up a pamphlet on festivals in Kanagawa and was immediately drawn to the Tennousai festival on Enoshima Island, which looked so interesting that I rushed to Enoshima Island right away! The Tennousai festival celebrates Benzaiten, the goddess of everything that flows – from water to words to music, and even wealth. Originating as the Hindu goddess Sarasvati, Benzaiten was introduced to Buddhism and Shinto in Japan from the 6th century, via Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light. Benzaiten is said to be the third daughter of a dragon king, and once slayed a three-headed snake.

   

 

Tennousai festival

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Early in the morning on the day of the Tennousai festival, the “mikoshi,” a portable shrine for transporting Benzaiten, was carried from Yasaka Shrine by over 100 people. She was taken down to the sea, amidst much jostling in the waves. The parade then continued to Koyurugi Shrine, and finally returned Benzaiten to Yasaka Shrine in the early evening.
There are three other shrines on Enoshima Island. To reach the main Enoshima Shrine we climbed to the top of Enoshima up seemingly endless stairs. It was very exhausting, but once we reached the top, our tiredness was swept away by the beauty of the island’s scenery.

The Omikoshi enters the sea

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This is one of the restaurant that we stopover for take a rest

After drinking our fill of the stunning view, we take a little rest and ate mizuyokan (japanese tradtional sweet) with a glass of cold green tea in traditional dessert restaurant. It was our first time ate in there and tasted very good. And than we walked to the other side of the hill to find Iwaya Cave. The cave is naturally carved out of the island’s rock by millennia of crashing waves. It has been a place of worship for over 800 years. The cave is full of history to explore, including stone statues of Shinto deities. I suggest you to rest a little bit before go back to the other side of hill, because the only way is climb up an endless stairs.

 

Iwaya-cave

Hungry after a strenuous day, we sampled enoshima’s local cuisine—shirasu don, or whitebait and Enoshima don. Don is rice dish in Japanese. A bowl of rice topped with raw shirasu was unexpectedly not smelly, and in fact was oishii.(delicious)! But you must try takosenbei (octopus creacker), takosenbei is very popular in Enoshima.
Being in Enoshima, it didn’t feel right to leave without visiting the beach, so we decided finished the day with a walk along the sea shore before finally returning to Kawasaki, tired but I enjoyed the travel in Enoshima.

shirasu-don

Enoshima-don

Tako-senbei

Accommodation

If you go from Tokyo station, you can take Tokaido Line to Fujisawa Station (52 minutes, 950 yen), and than change onto Odakyu line to Katase-Enoshima Station (7 minutes, 150 yen). I think, it isn't expensive for a great trip experience. For the Iwaya Cave, entrance fee is 500 yen for adult and 200 yen for children.

More information you can check Fujisawa City Tourist Association:
2-20-13 Katase-Kaigan, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Tel: +81-466-22-4141
http://www.fujisawa-kanko.jp