A short distance from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Japan travelers can find a change of scenery in the coastal areas of Enoshima and Kamakura. Using the Tokaido Line from Tokyo Station, visitors can arrive at Kamakura Kokomae Station in a little under an hour and a half, making it a perfect day trip. Kamakura Kokomae Station is a popular tourist photo opportunity for anime fans. The view outside this station is a destination spot for fans of the 1990's sports anime Slam Dunk. Slam Dunk follows the story of protagonist Sakuragi and his journey from delinquent bad boy to star basketball player. In 2022, The First Slam Dunk was released, a new movie based on the original anime. The film renewed interest in the 90's anime and went on to win the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and became the 5th highest-grossing anime film (Wikipedia).
The view outside Kamakura Kokomae station of the beach and the electric railway are featured in the Slam Dunk anime's opening title sequence. Many fans of the sports anime can be found waiting outside the small train station to catch the perfect shot of the green train passing in front of the shimmering sea. Despite the area garnering so much popularity guards are frequently monitoring for safety, there is little else to do in the mostly residential area. However, there are many attractions and beautiful scenic spots located nearby.
After achieving that Instragrammable photo, fans can take a ten-minute train on the Enoden line from Kamakura Kokomae Station to the more popular tourist attractions around Enoshima Station. Enoshima Island features a variety of things to do from peaceful shrines to "dragon-guarded" caves. The island is dominated by the Enoshima Sea Candle. For 700 yen visitors can take the elevator to the top of the observatory and enjoy the beautiful views of the Japanese coast. On a clear day, Mount Fuji is clearly visible from Enoshima. For an extra 300 yen, admission to the surrounding gardens can be added to the Sea Candle ticket.
On the mainland, visitors can explore the Enoshima Aquarium, a large two-story aquarium. In addition, the aquarium features outdoor dolphin shows. Of course, spending the day soaking up the sun on the long stretch of beach is also a great and free option if you're looking for low budget fun.
Further away from the beach, visitors in this area can also see the Kamakura Daibutsu, or Great Buddha. From Kamakura Kokomae Station, travelers can use the Enoden line to take a 16-minute train ride to Hase Station. From Hase Station, the Great Buddha is about a seven-minute walk. Kamakura Daibutsu is the second tallest Buddha statue in Japan, and dates back to the 13th century. The statue is out in the open, unlike many Buddha statues which are often contained within temples. Due to its location on the coast, over the years the temple was subjected to the forces of many tsunamis and storms too many times to justify its continuous restoration (Japan Travel).
Enoshima is beautiful! I would love to see the "dragon-guarded" cave in person. There's so much rich culture to explore. Also, I'm still relatively new to anime, but I'll definitely take a look into Slam Dunk.
ReplyDeleteHello Maddie! My children are Anime Fans, and they are planning to visit Japan in 2 years. They're working hard to save some money for their trip. I passed them the information about the one-day trip to Kamakura, and how easy it is to travel to this destination from Tokyo by using the Tokaido Line. Also, I wonder how fascinating it will be to visit the Iwaya Caves and learn about the Enoshima's history.
ReplyDeleteAs somebody who has Japan on their travel bucket list, this has given me yet more sites to add onto the itinerary if I ever visit. While Baseball is more commonly associated with Japan, we also see Japanese connections to Basketball with the anime you mentioned being one example. Additionally, NBA players of Japanese descent such as Rui Hachimura and Yuki Kawamura are further solidifying the prescense of Basketball within Japan's culture.
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