Being honest, I've been attempting to translate all my videos into Japanese because some of my Japanese friends were complaining that they're all in English, but I'm sure the subtitles are full of mistakes anyways. I'm also going to start slowly working to translate my blog posts to Japanese, as well as start translating Japanese places and such at the bottom of each of my posts so that people can more easily navigate my site and blog even if they do not know Japanese or make it easier for them to find places I mentioned when coming to Japan.
FIRST I'll talk a bit about what you saw in my video(if you watched it...which you should), so if you just want information about Enoshima, how to get there, things to do, etc. skip to the bottom of this blog post.
WHAT HAPPENED IN MY VLOG?:
So walking on the long straight street to Enoshima, make sure to stay on the LEFT HAND SIDE of the walking area. Since there is only one street for both people going to and leaving the island, it is common Japanese courtesy for all of the people moving the same direction to not swerve in and out of people, but to stay on one side of a street.
When we got to the island, there was a summer festival and a wedding going on, so I'm not completely sure if the island is always that crowded.
On the island there is an ATM that we saw, however I am unsure if it works with international cards.
We bought shave ice because we were melting, but there was a huge line for one of the most famous snacks on the island, octopus crackers. There are many other famous foods that you'll see along the road, but I recommend waiting until you go back down the street so you can scout out the cheapest prices.
Once we got up the tourist-filled street, you get to the top, where you can buy tickets to go up the escalators to see the top of the island. The pieces of paper tied to the fence on my left side were fortunes that people either wanted to come true, or people wanted to ward off bad luck from. The pink charms that I passed by were love charms. For those who go to Enoshima with a significant other, you can buy those charms for 500 yen, or the equivalent of about $4.75, and write both your names on it, then hang it for good luck in love.
There are a few more escalators up, and when you get to the top there is a park that you can enter if you paid the extra fees at the bottom, and after walking through the beautiful garden, you reach the tall tower called the Enoshima Sea Candle. From this tower, you can see the entire Kanagawa Prefecture.
Although you can take the escalators up, you have to walk all the way down.
Once we got down, we headed to Yuigahama beach, spent a few hours there, and then went home.
Ultimately had an amazing day :) Sorry I didn't take too much footage at the beach, I was too terrified of getting sand in my camera!
INFORMATION ON ENOSHIMA:
Enoshima is an island in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. In order to get there, most people going by train get of at Katase-Enoshima Station and walk the long conjoining bridge to reach the island.
HOW TO GET THERE:
TO ENOSHIMA ISLAND: For people who want to get to Katase-Enoshima Station, first you need to take the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Station. Unfortunately, although Shinjuku Station is really confusing (even Japanese people dislike going through Shinjuku Station and often get lost) this is the only way I have gone to Enoshima by. After you arrive at Shinjuku Station, you can either try to find yourself, or ask a station attendant about where the Odakyu Line is.
Once reaching the Odakyu Line, I highly recommend boarding an express train and riding it until Sagami-Ono Station, and then transfer to a local train to get to Katase-Enoshima Station. Once there, we just followed the crowd to the long straight road that led to the island.
TO THE SEA CANDLE: I DIDNT ACTUALLY MENTION THIS IN MY VIDEO BUT...
if you see the part where I give a ticket to a lady and then walk into a tropical garden setting with the large tower, that would be the Enoshima Sea Candle, which overlooks the entire Kanagawa Prefecture. If you follow the instructions above to get to Enoshima the island, keep walking straight through the traditional Japanese gate and walk all the way straight up through the street full of street food, souvenir shops, etc. At the top, there will be a giant, red traditional gate, that leads to picturesque temples. Head to your right, and there should be a place to pay for tickets to go up an escalator (yes, an escalator inside a temple). I don't quite remember, but I do believe you have to pay for Sea Candle entrance fees while paying for the entrance too (it should be a fee for Samuel Cocking Garden). When you finish making your way through all the temples and sightseeing on the way up, give your escalator ticket to the worker in front of the Samuel Cocking Garden, go to the entrance of the Sea Candle, and wait in line to take the elevator up to the top or be ambitious and take the stairs to the top.
TO YUIGAHAMA BEACH: We were sightseeing when we went, so we looked around a bit, but if you go back down the straight street all the way back and keep walking past all the street stores and tourist shops all the way down, you should see some people heading to yet another train station, Enoshima Station, on the Enoshima Electric Railway. This train station only makes stops at some of the more popular stops around the coast, one of which being Yuigahama Station. Again, if you follow the line of people after getting off at the station, you should pretty easily be able to find the beach.
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO VISIT ENOSHIMA (WHAT TO BRING):
- A TRAIN PASS (IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OF THESE ALREADY, MAKE ONE AT SHINJUKU STATION)
- Sunscreen
- Beach Towels
- Swimsuit
- Change of clothes (you have to get back on the train to get back, so make sure you're considerate of other passengers and don't make the train seats wet)
- Money (to pay for luggage lockers if you so choose to use those, food costs, renting an umbrella for the beach, etc.)
- A bag with zippers (so sand can't get in)
- FOOD (if you can, make your own and bring it or buy food at your local convenience store, because food is so much more expensive in Enoshima)
- Water Bottles
- Ice Wipe Sheets (they're alcohol sheets you can buy in most Japanese convenience stores that, when you wipe with them, make you feel cooler and cleaner. Highly recommended if you plan on going to the beach.)
REMEMBER: there are so many things to do while in Enoshima!!!! These are just the things my friends and I did when we went! Don't be afraid to try new things and explore!
XOXO,
Meowko
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