Enoshima Caves

photo by Dokudami · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Public domain

You visit with a candle in your hand: the first cave is 152 metres deep.

Two sea caves carved out by wave erosion at the base of the island's western cliff: the first 152 metres deep, the second 56. You go in holding a free candle handed out at the entrance, which in the half-light illuminates stone statues and carved walls; according to tradition, both Kūkai and Nichiren withdrew here to meditate, and it is considered the place where the Enoshima cult began.

Caves at the base of Enoshima Island, a pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages as the place where the worship of the goddess Benzaiten began.

ℹ️ Open with seasonal hours (roughly 9:00–17:00). Tickets 500 yen for adults, 200 yen for elementary school children; free for younger children.

🚉 Katase-Enoshima · 23 min walk

Sources: kanagawa-kankou.or.jp · pref.kanagawa.jp

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