Enoshima and Kamakura, the Sea and the Buddhas
Two faces of coastal Japan linked by a little train that hugs the sea: the sacred island of Enoshima in the morning, the shogunal capital of Kamakura and its great bronze Buddha in the afternoon.
The points that matter.
The great Buddha of Kotokuin, over 11 metres of bronze
The ride on the little Enoden train along the coast
Hasedera temple and its sea view
A physical day, to adapt for limited mobility
Le programme
Enoshima and Kamakura, the Sea and the Buddhas
The morning is spent on Enoshima Island, linked by a bridge, with its shrines set into the slope and its Sea Candle observation tower, giving views over Sagami Bay and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji. The Enoden line, a memorable ride in itself, then leads to Kamakura: the great Buddha of Kotokuin, a bronze cast in 1252 standing in the open air since a tsunami swept away its hall in the 15th century, then Hasedera temple and its terraced gardens, and finally Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, the heart of the Kamakura shogunate.