Enoshima-Jinja
Enoshima-Jinja consists of three branches, Hetsu-no-Miya (Shrine at the Edge), Nakatsu-no-Miya (Shrine at the Middle) and Okutsu-no-Miya (Shrine at the Depth). Each shrine is dedicated to different Goddess, all of which is the Goddess of sea.
The Benten where Hearn visited is located just next to Hetsu-no-Miya. Benten, exactly Benzaïten, is originally a Goddess of China for speech and music. In Japan she was formerly regarded as the Goddess for war, especially naval one, so this Enoshima-Benten Shrine was built by Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199), the first Shôgun of the Kamakura Shôgun government.
To-day she is believed to be the Goddess for music, as originally believed in China, so the statue of Benten enshrined here brings biwa, a kind of musical instrument (On this instrument, read "The Story of Mimi-Nashi Hôïchi" for detail). You can enter and see the statue (fee is 50 yen) but to take pictures is not allowed.
The shrines on the photo are, from left to right, top to bottom, Benzaïten, Hetsu-no-Miya, Nakatsu-no-Miya, Okutsu-no-Miya.
Access
- Go to the bridge Enoshima-Ôhashi at first. Three railways are available to go nearby the bridge.
- From Kamakura or Hasé: Ride Enoden Line and get off at Enoshima Station. Walk along the street of souvenir shops for several minutes and you can find the bridge in front.
- From Ôfuna: Ride Shônan Monorail and get off at Shônan-Enoshima, the final stop of this line. And you can find the Enoden station just in front, so you can go the same way from there.
- From Fujisawa: Ride Odakyû Enoshima Line and get off at Katasé-Enoshima, the final station. Walk straight from the station for a few minutes and you can find the bridge on the right.
- From other places like Tôkyô, Yokohama, Narita, Haneda, etc.: Look at the transportation chart on the right and choose the convenient way for you.
- Cross the bridge and you can enter the island. There is a sightseeing information desk at the entrance of the island, so it would be your help to take a free guide map there.
Buses are also available from Ôfuna, Kamakura and Fujisawa Station, also from Daïbutsu and Hasé Kwannon, they will bring you to the island directly.
- Walk along the street of souvenir and seafood shops, and you can find the gate of the shrine at the front.
- From the gate, there is almost no branch road, so you can easily go to Hetsu-no-Miya and Benzaïten (place #1 on the map), Nakatsu-no-Miya (#2), and Okutsu-no-miya (#3).
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