Enoshima Island

Back to share with you the experiences and adventures we are having here in our host country, Japan. In late December we took a trip over to Enoshima Island in Sagami Bay.

Above is a picture of Enoshima Island (meaning Bay Island) that was on a tiles under the overpass before you arrived at the Benten bridge. Heading onto the Benten Bridge

We are almost to Enoshima Island Directly down a narrow street crammed with souvenir shops and restaurants, was the Enoshima-jinja (jinja is Japanese for shrine)., Imagine that, another shrine! Japan is covered in shrines or so it seems to us Gaijin. The Enoshima-jinja was built in 1182 and dedicated to Benten the goddess of fortune.

A view back to the beach over top the torii gate from a second shrine. There are shrines within shrines thus it is hard for me to keep them all straight.

Another shrine or part of the same shrine? There are three goddess sisters worshipped on Enoshima Island making it that much more confusing.
Here you are witnessing worshipers doing some type of ritual. If we were to wager a guess it would be a good luck ritual. People would weave in and out of this large "twine" circle. Obviously people saw us watching and taking pictures which caused a few people to laugh. - uhmm

There were dragon statues all over the island and in the caves.

I believe that there was an ancient belief that a dragon god lived in the caves.

Oh yeah and as your faucet in the bathroom sinks

Heading down to the caves. The first cave is almost 500 feet long and the second is 367 feet long. It is said that one of the caves leads to Mt Fuji if you feel the cool wind... We aren't sure how that could be possible and have to take into account it may be a case of Engrish:)

These stones were found in the second cave. The seas around Enoshima used to be the home for countless numbers of floating phosphorescent hence the crazy neon colors that are emitted under the black light.

Inside the caves were many historic stone sculptures and monuments

We were given candles as we headed deeper into the cave to view the strange sculptures that line the walls. A couple times we had to stoop down to continue through the cave. A very fascinating experience.

Yea, Look it's Dada!

The bridge connecting the two caves.

On our way back on the monorail and trains we saw this pennant. Fujisawa is the city from which you access Enoshima Island. Interestingly enough one of the beaches in this area is called Miami beach and some part of Enoshima has been compared to South Beach.