January 2nd, 3rd, 5th 2008 : New Year’s in Shonan --- Kanagawa

A Happy New Year! For this first entry for 2008, our cameraman-T will report you about New Year’s Day in Shonan picking up Enoshima and New Year’s road relay race.
*Please click photo for larger image

Let me start with Enoshima crowded with people visiting shrine in Fujisawa.
Enoshima St. is the last station of Odakyu Enoshima line which you can take from Sagami-ohno if you come from Shinjuku. You also can take Exp. Romancecar from Shinjuku and that’ll take only around 1 hour. By regular express, around 1 hour 15min.
Please take a look behind you when you arrive at “Katase-Enoshima” St.. The station building is like bright red under-sea palace.
Photo) Odakyu Katase-Enoshima

We crossed Sakai river shortly. They have many fishing boats anchored.
You can see many fishing boats anchored with this photo.
After crossing bridge, we passed a tunnel connected to Enoshima.
The way is connected to another bridge called Benten bridge. There are two beaches on both side of this bridge, east side “Higashi-hama beach” and west side “Nishi-hama beach”. They will be full of people in summer especially wind surfers and people enjoy yacht in east side.
Wind surfers

There is a boarding point for boat on front end of Benten bridge which takes you to Chigo-ga-fuchi, west side of Enoshima. They were emphasizing it takes only 10min meanwhile 40min on foot.

Photo left : Boarding point, center : Benten bridge, right : bronze gate in front and red gate in distance

This is the Benten Bridge! (This bridge is built at the timing of Tokyo Olympic in 1964.) The length is 389m. I walked slowly together with a lot of other people. There is a bronze gate near entrance of Enoshima and I could see red gate some distance ahead. (Above photo right)
The path in Enoshima is all so narrow and I couldn’t avoid nearly hitting everyone. On the way, there are many souvenir shops, restaurants, “Shirasu”(whitebait : baby sardine) shop and “Meoto red bean bun” shop, specialty of Enoshima. Shops were pretty much crowded.

Photo left : Shirasu shop, right : red-bean bun shop

Ahead the red gate is the steps to the shrine. (below photo left)
But those steps are quite long and steep. There is also a paid escalator called “Escar” for old people.
Enoshima shrine is a generic name of 3 shrine inside, “Hetsu-miya” “Nakatsu-miya” “Okutsu-miya”. Each enshrines goddess, protectorate god of the sea. As you pass the first “Hetsu-miya”, there is “Enoshima Benzai-ten” This Benzai-ten is one of top3 Benzai-ten and it is only goddess in seven gods of good fortune, obtains peoples faith.

Photo left : a red gate and steps, center : Enoshima shrine – Hetsu-miya, right : Houan-den of Enoshima Benzai-ten

When we go further, we came to observatory. I could see a yacht basin where the Tokyo Olympic held yacht matches in 1964. This harbor keeps around 1,000 yachts. There must be many yachtsmen use here.

Photo left : yacht basin, right : view of the yachts sitting on the ocean.

When we go few more steps up, there is “Nakatsu-miya” Of Enoshima-shrine and another step up and comes to the top of Enoshima where the lighthouse is. From Christmas season to New Year’s Day, the lighthouse illuminates in various color and is highly visible.

Photo left : Nakatsu-miya, right : lighthouse and the observatory

From there we went up and down the path and reached “Okutsu-miya”
On the way there are many souvenir shops and restaurants. Their signature dishes are grilled turban shell, chopped horse macherel, Enoshima bowl, Shirasu bowl(whitebait: baby sardine) and so on.
There is also under-sea palace near Okutsu-miya.

Photop left : Restaurant’s menu, center : Okutsu-miya, right : under-sea palace

Go down all the way the steps, that’s the place called Chigo-ga-fuchi. This is a exciting point for fishing people. That day, we could see a lot of them.
Behind the rock deck is Sagami bay and may have view of Izu peninsula, range of mountains in Hakone and Tanzawa and Mt. Fuji. Further down the Chigo-ga-fuchi, there is Enoshima cave.

Photo left : Chigo-ga-fuchi, center : Enoshima cave, right : Calm and flat Sagami bay

I went back the steps and came over to Benten bridge. Across the bridge and take west to Sakai-gawa bridge, you’ll see New Enoshima Aquarium. This is also crowed but should be good to see Big Sagami Bay Tank with 8000 sardines or Dolphin & Whale show, displays of jellyfish.

Photo left : New Enoshima Aquarium, right : an entrance

By the way, I went for cheering second day of New Year’s Road Relay Race.
I was cheering while walking the cycling road from Kugenuma beach to Hiratsuka. On that day, sky was pretty much clear with few clouds with no wind. I could see the good view of Enoshima, range of mountains in Tanzawa & Hakone, Mt. Fuji and even Tougasa Mountain in Izu. I saw surfers everywhere.

Photo left : Surfers and Enoshima, center : Mt. Fuji and range of mountains of Hakone,
right : Eboshi rock in Chigasaki and Izu peninsula

I was watching the road race at Hamasuga crossing in Chigasaki.
This zone is 8th section in this race. Waseda University was the top and Komazawa was in 2nd, Tokai was 3rd position when I was there but when it comes to ending, Komazawa cut the tape first, Waseda was 2nd and Chuo was in 3rd.

Photo left : People cheering the race at the sidewalk at Hamasuga crossing,
center : TV shooting car, right : Waseda University team in the top at 8th zone

Photo left : Komazawa in 2nd position, right : race view 　

These are view of sunset in Shonan beach. This year 3 days pf New Year’s Days had really fine clear sky and sunset was really beautiful.
Enoshima at the moment of just before sunset with dim outline of Oshima Island in a distance. Sun setting between Hakone and Izu. The next is outline of Mt. Fuji and Hakone after sunset.

Photo left : Enoshima and Izu Oshima Island, center : sunset, right : outline after sunset

May 2008 will be a nice year for you!    From Tokyo Lease Corporation.