Katase-Enoshima – The Pacific Ocean & Mount Fuji

It is a great mystery about Mount Fuji, that the closer you get the more elusive it gets, and when you least expect or least of all look for it, there it suddenly appears in front of you on a clear and sunny day. A couple of weeks ago I visited Enoshima on the southern coast of Japan, not far from Yokohama which in turn is not too far from Tokyo to make it a very simple day trip or even half day trip. Not even on every sunny day can you see Mount Fuji from the ocean front here in Enoshima, but on this day we were lucky and the gorgeous mountain was visible throughout the day until the sun set at night.

To get to Enoshima from Tokyo it is often easiest to catch the express in Shinjuku, on the Odakyu Line. It will take you to the imaginatively designed Takase-Enoshima station (片瀬江ノ島駅), modeled after the mythical underwater castle of the dragon God of the sea, Ryujin. There are many tales and stories of the dragon, but the most famous is of Urashima Taro who spent three nights in the castle, each of which equalled a century in the outside world.

Enoshima is famous for more than the rocky island, there are also a marina, several beaches, a great aquarium and plenty of opportunities for fishing and water sports. The way to the island from the station is pretty simple and uses a long flat bridge over the ocean. Halfway along the bridge there is a landing for a couple of small boats which ferry passengers to the far side of the island, saving tourists at least an hour’s walk. In one of the photos you can see one of the boats, the Bentenmaru.