Enoshima at Night

Shibuya246 · 26 October 2024 · 6 photos

Zuishin-mon, the gate of Enoshima Shrine, lit up at night.

Enoshima is a small island off the Shonan coast in Kanagawa, joined to the mainland by a bridge. A local train on the Odakyu line to Katase-Enoshima Station is one way to get there.

The shop-lined street up to Enoshima Shrine stays busy after dark, with stalls selling shirasu snacks and soft serve. The shrine's gate is lit up at night, and the stairs up to it look quite different from the daytime view.

An Odakyu train on the platform with a destination sign reading Local, Katase-Enoshima. — An Odakyu local train for Katase-Enoshima.

A crowded street of souvenir shops and wooden-fronted buildings climbing toward the shrine at dusk. — Souvenir shops and wooden buildings line the street up toward the shrine.

Large concrete tetrapods piled along the rocky shore with the sea behind. — Concrete tetrapods along the rocky shore. A small sign warns people to keep off.

Two anglers standing on a flat rock shelf with the sea beyond and a person crouching in the foreground. — Anglers out on the flat rocks, with the sea beyond.

A crowded lantern-lit street at night with a shirasu snack stall on the right. — Stalls along the way sell shirasu snacks and soft serve.

Details on getting there and what to see on the island are in the travel note below. Is Enoshima better by day or by night? I took these photos in October 2024 and only got round to posting them in 2026.

Visiting today · Kanagawa, Kanto

Visiting Enoshima, Fujisawa, Kanagawa today

Checked November 2026 · next check January 2027

Added by Shibuya246, separate from the original post above. Facts are checked every quarter against the sources below. Check opening times and prices before you go.

What it is: A small island about 4 km around, in Fujisawa on Sagami Bay and linked to the mainland by a bridge. Enoshima Shrine (Hetsumiya, Nakatsumiya and Okutsumiya together) is one of Japan's three great Benzaiten shrines, first built at Iwaya in 552 by imperial order.
Getting there: Katase-Enoshima Station (Odakyu Enoshima Line), Enoshima Station (Enoden, the easy route from Kamakura) and Shonan-Enoshima Station (Shonan Monorail) are each a short walk from the island. Direct trains from Shinjuku take about 1 hour, and the Odakyu Romancecar runs from Shinjuku to Katase-Enoshima (reserved-seat surcharge ¥750 one way).
Highlights: The Benzaiten Nakamise street runs from the 1821 bronze torii up past inns, souvenir shops and restaurants to the vermilion gate before the Zuishin-mon, a gatehouse modelled on the Dragon Palace. The Iwaya Caves are two sea-eroded caves on the island. A rocky shoreline facing Fuji is a sunset spot.
Getting up the hill: The Enoshima Escar, Japan's first outdoor escalator (1959), takes about 4 minutes up to the Samuel Cocking Garden (¥500 adults, ¥250 children) versus about 20 minutes on foot. The garden is free until 5 pm; the Sea Candle lighthouse, 59.8 m tall, is ¥800 adults, ¥400 children.
Tip: The island is lit for seasonal night events: Shonan Candle (mid-October to early November, about 10,000 candles) and Jewel of Shonan (late November to end of February), both 17:00-20:00 at the Samuel Cocking Garden and Sea Candle.

Best time