Local Tourists

Local Tourists

On February 25, 2018

In Enoshima Island, Enoshima Sea Candle, Japan, Sea Candle, Shinkansen, Shonan Beach, Shrine, Train, Tsuragaoka Hachimangū, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū

No alarms were set in the Dwyer house Sunday morning. We all agreed that waking up at 2:30am on Saturday morning earned us late sleepers! We eventually made it out of the house mid morning and worked our way to Enoshima Island. To mix it up a little bit, we took the Shonan Monorail train to get to Enoshima. Here was our route from Zushi.

Before tackling the stairs on the island, we stopped for lunch. We were glad to have extra energy. Enoshima Island has a lot of stairs!

Check out the view as we climbed.

Cindy was able to add another stamp to her temple book. While we waited, we had ume blossoms and the fountain to enjoy.

We continued our way to the top of the island. We enjoyed all the selfie spots on the island.

The clouds prevented us from viewing Mt. Fuji. You know what they say… on a clear day…

This might be my favorite picture of the day. Those smiles!

We worked our way down the island and caught the Enoshima Electric train back to Kamakura.

On the way home, I needed to take Cindy to Hachimangū Shrine in Kamakura. This shrine is mandatory on every Julia tour. We skipped it Friday when we were in Kamakura and opted for seeing Sakura. Having a flexible schedule today, we were able to squeeze in a quick visit.

I’ll be honest. My favorite part of the Shrine are the sake barrels.

We were there towards the end of the day. The Shrine wasn’t very crowded, but the light was getting challenging with iPhone.

A few last pictures. The bridge is blocked off because it is only for the Gods to cross. The lighting wasn’t the best, but I love these shots.

As I think about our day, I can’t help but laugh at our reality. We live so incredibly close to so many really cool, beautiful, and iconic parts of Japan. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to live here. It’s so special to be able to share our experiences and neighborhood with Cindy. Tomorrow we have traveling plans on the Shinkansen! Kyoto or bust!

Sea Candle Illumination

By wabisabisole

On December 4, 2017

In Enoshima Island, Enoshima Sea Candle, Illuminations, Japan

Holiday illuminations are shining brightly all around Japan. One spot I missed last year was the Enoshima Sea Candle. I decided to add it to calendar earlier and during a week day. Katie and her daughter, Virginia, met me in Zushi so we could ride the train together the rest of the way to Enoshima. We were hoping for a clear night. We wanted to see Mt. Fuji, sunset, and the super moon. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in during the early afternoon.

We took our time climbing up to the top and soaked in the view as we went.

I also had the chance to use my Apple Watch to take a picture of the three of us. It’s a great feature and made even easier because in various places around Japan we have seen little smart phone stands. Brilliant!

At 17:00 the lights were illuminated. They made an announcement about five minutes prior and people started rushing into the garden. Right before 17:00 there was a 10- second count down and then the lights were turned on. Everyone cheered. It was really cute. The gardens of the Sea Candle were so beautiful. It was fun to walk through and absorb the serenity of the garden. Plus, there was music playing to help set the holiday spirit.

The highlight was the long light tunnel. It was so beautiful. There were large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and crystals hanging from the sides.

It was cool to see the Sea Candle through the tunnel.

We walked through the tunnel a couple times. It was just so beautiful with all the lights.

The Sea Candle was also illuminated.

The view from the top of the Sea Candle was a delight as well.

Our evening out was just the break I needed. I spent most of the day working on rerouting our Christmas holiday plans. We were planning a trip to Bali. Unfortunately, the ash cloud from Mt. Agung continues to threaten flights. We decided to play it on the safe side and reroute our trip to Phuket. It was a bit of a hassle to change, but worth it in the end for piece of mind. I did a little more research and found a different part for us to visit this year and enjoy a relaxing holiday together. We can save Bali for next year.

Enoshima Sea Candles

By wabisabisole

On November 2, 2017

In Enoshima Island, Enoshima Sea Candle, Gardens, Google Map, Japan, Mt. Fuji, Sea Candle, Shopping, Shrine, Train

Last week, I went out to Enoshima Island and during my visit, I saw an advertisement for a candle illumination display. Wednesday evening was the perfect opportunity for me to revisit the Enoshima Garden, Sea Candle, and candle illumination. I arrived a little before sunset and was very happy I did! I was able to capture a few pictures of the sunset and Mt. Fuji.

I purchased my ticket and quickly went up into the Sea Candle before the sunset was complete. I wanted a few more pictures!

I returned to ground level and I tilted my phone to capture Mt. Fuji and the Sea Candle. A very gorgeous evening!

After watching sunset, I returned to the candle illumination. The path leading to the Sea Candle was illuminated with white votives.

The candles were placed with great care throughout the garden.

The Shrine seemed majestic with the red votives lining the path.

The candles were beautiful and it was so quiet. It wasn’t very crowded, but still a good number of people snapping pictures from every angle. As couples spoke, they whispered. The silence truly set a peaceful tone for the evening.

This is my fourth visit to Enoshima Island. It is moving up on my list of favorite places near where we live. Even though it takes a little while to get there, the train ride is nice along the coast. Also, there are a lot of shops leading up to the Shrine that can be fun to explore. The Shrine is beautiful and there are a lot of stairs! On a clear day, the island provides a fantastic view of Mt. Fuji. It is worth a visit during cool (remember- lots of stairs!) and clear weather. One last picture of Mt. Fuji as I walked back to the train station.

One more funny story about the Enoshima Sea Candle. In America, we would refer to this structure as a lighthouse. I call it the Enoshima Sea Candle because those are the English words written on the signs on the island. Even Google Maps refers to it as the Enoshima Sea Candle.

The funny thing is, I have told both of my English classes about my visits to Enoshima Island and the Enoshima Sea Candle and they respond with confusion. They will say to me, “you call it Sea Candle?” Clearly, confused by the silly American who isn’t familiar with lighthouses. I try to explain I call it that because that’s what the sign says- in English. Normally, I would call it a lighthouse. “Oh, yes, lighthouse. Yes, very beautiful.” Yes, very beautiful. For now on, I will always giggle when I see a lighthouse aka Sea Candle.