Day 3 – 6 October 2024, Sunday

After experiencing rain that lasted almost the entire day yesterday, I was happy to wake up this morning to see that it was not raining anymore. The weather forecast showed that cloudy conditions would continue all day, with the temperature at a cool 20 degrees C at 7:30am. AA decided not to join us today so the five of us set off from our hotel at 8:00am for our day trip to Kamakura/Enoshima.

Last night, I cracked my head to search for places nearby to have breakfast. We prefer a Western-style breakfast rather than having Japanese food for our first meal of the day. Besides McDonald’s (which we had already eaten yesterday), options were rather limited. Thanks to Google Maps, I managed to find an outlet of St. Marc Café at Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station that opens early at 7:00am. I can’t tell you how many times Google Maps has saved my life when it comes to helping me find food places in Japan.

There were already several other patrons at St. Marc Café when we arrived at 8:07am. We ordered the morning set, which came with coffee and a choice of bread bun, hot sandwich, French toast or sandwich. I also ordered their signature Chococro, a croissant with chocolate filling.

After finishing our breakfast at 8:40am, we walked to Shinjuku West Gate to look for the entrance for the Odakyu Line. We had already purchased the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass on our first day so all we had to do was insert the ticket into the gantry. There happened to be a train departing at 8:49am so we quickly hopped on it and we were on our way.

For this day trip, our Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass includes round-trip travel on the Odakyu Line between Shinjuku and Fujisawa, and unlimited use of the Enoden Line and the Odakyu Line between Fujisawa and Katase-Enoshima. At just 1,640 yen (S$14.76), it provides good value for money.

If you prefer a more comfortable and luxurious experience, you can top up 750 yen (S$6.75) one way to upgrade your ticket to the Limited Express Romancecar for the journey from Shinjuku to Katase-Enoshima. The Romancecar has reclining seats, with two seats side-by-side, and all seats are reserved. The regular train has bench-type seating and no reserved seating. The Romancecar is also about 10 minutes faster because it is a limited express service. However, I didn’t think it was necessary to splurge on the Romancecar for this journey so we went with the regular train. By the way, if you’re wondering why it’s called Romancecar, it is because the two-person seats do not have armrests in between. Hence, you can get closer to your companion, providing a more “romantic” experience I suppose…

The regular train was quite comfortable as the bench seats were cushioned. There were many other passengers but we had seats so it was ok. The ride out was not particularly scenic as we passed through suburban Japan and saw a lot of residential houses.

The train ride took just under an hour and we arrived at Fujisawa Station at 9:46am. From there, we had to exit the station and walk a short distance to transfer to the green Enoden Line, which operates between Fujisawa and Kamakura, with 15 stops in between. After a detour to the gift shop, we hopped on the Enoden train and departed Fujisawa at 10:02am.

The Enoden train had a green and cream yellow exterior and looked very classic. It was packed so we had to stand for this leg of the journey. The train passed through several residential estates. The houses here were small and cute. At certain points, the houses were very close to our train, right next to the rail line.

After Enoshima station, the train went on the road, just like an electric tram. It was very cool. From Koshigoe station to Inamuragasaki station, only a small road separated our train from the coast so we had a marvellous ocean view. We saw many people cycling on the road and surfers riding waves in the sea. It was still cloudy but at least it wasn’t raining.

At 10:33am, we alighted at Hase station and walked along Hase-dori (“dori” means “street”) towards Kotoku-in. It was a small street and the pedestrian walkway was very narrow. There were some interesting shops along the way so we walked slowly and peered occasionally into the shops. At 10:50am, we arrived at Kotoku-in. The general admission fee is 300 yen (S$2.70).

Kotoku-in is a Buddhist temple that enshrines Kamakura Daibutsu, the Great Buddha of Kamakura. The colossal bronze statue is 11.3 metres tall (13.35 metres including the base) and weighs 121 tonnes. While not as big as the Great Buddha of Todai-ji Temple at Nara, what makes the Kamakura Daibutsu unique is that it sits in the open air.

Construction of the Great Buddha of Kamakura began in 1252 and it was repaired several times over the centuries after being damaged by storms, earthquakes and tsunamis. The Kamakura Daibutsu is one of the most famous icons of Japan. So famous that Janet Jackson included it in her music video for her 1995 hit song Runaway, which shows her travelling around the world and visiting many landmarks.

When I visited Kotoku-in 11 years ago, it was during the evening near closing time, and it was very tranquil with few visitors. On this Sunday morning, it was crowded with many busloads of tourists, so the vibes were very different. However, it was still a great pleasure to see the Kamakura Daibutsu again, seated so serenely amid the crowds, surrounded by trees and nature.

The temple grounds were not very big but we spent some time browsing at the gift shop. The sun also came out so I took the opportunity to take many photos from different angles, capturing the majestic statue in all its glory. Looking at the Great Buddha statue just makes me feel calm. In all, we spent half an hour visiting Kotoku-in.

We walked in the reverse direction along Hase-dori back to Hase station. At 11:46am, we hopped on the Enoden train and continued our journey to the end of the line, alighting at Kamakura station five minutes later. From there, we walked to Komachi-dori nearby. I had never been there before so I was excited to see it.

A red torii gate stood at the entrance of the 350-metre-long Komachi-dori. After passing through the gate, we were greeted by a bustling scene of shops flanking both sides of the street. Hordes of locals and tourists were out on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, as the clouds had parted to give way to blue skies.

There was so much to see. Everywhere we turned, there were fancy restaurants, shops selling the most interesting souvenirs, food stands offering the most delicious snacks and pet cafes where you could hang out with owls. We decided the best strategy was to look at the shops on the left first, then to look at the shops on the other side after making a U-turn at the end of the street.

I saw a food stand with a long queue selling fried beef balls with cheese filling. It looked good so I bought it to try. It cost 500 yen (S$4.50). The ball was deep fried and had a breaded texture like a croquette, and the fillings were very moist and delicious. So yummy!

I also tried a fish-shaped pastry with red bean paste filling (300 yen/S$2.70) and an apple pastry from Mille Mele (450 yen/S$4.05). The fish pastry was really delicious and its exterior was crispy at the edges. Unlike a taiyaki, which is also fish-shaped but it is steamed so its texture is soft instead of crispy. The apple pastry was disappointing though, because it was not warm enough, and they were quite stingy with the apple and cream fillings.

Despite being so touristy and commercialised, there are still some traces of local life to be found. I caught a glimpse of an elderly man having a haircut at an old-fashioned barber. Off the main street, you can also find hidden gems like a small udon and tempura restaurant and bakeries.

We spent almost two hours shopping at Komachi-dori. When we went back to Kamakura station, the train platform was full so we waited for the next train 14 minutes later so we could get seats. At 2:28pm, we left Kamakura on the Enoden Line and alighted at Enoshima station at 2:54pm.

From Enoshima station, it was quite a long walk through Subana-dori before we crossed the 389-metre-long causeway to Enoshima island. The sun was out and there was no shade along the causeway. We were also quite tired by then. In the end, it took us about 20 minutes to walk from Enoshima station to Enoshima island.

Enoshima is a small island with a circumference of about 5km and roughly 60 metres above sea level. Since olden times, Enoshima has attracted many people due to the popularity of Benzaiten (originally a Hindu goddess, Saraswati), its long history and beautiful scenery. On clear days, Mount Fuji can be seen across the bay. I visited Enoshima 11 years ago and enjoyed it. I also managed to see Mount Fuji then.

A bronze torii gate marked the entrance of Enoshima Benzaiten Nakamise-dori. Like Komachi-dori, this historic shopping street is very lively and also filled with interesting eateries and souvenir shops. However, it is not as long, and it is much narrower and slopes upwards. I remember buying an octopus rice cracker snack here during my last visit. There was quite a long queue for the snack so we didn’t buy it this time.

It took less than 10 minutes to walk to the end of Enoshima Benzaiten Nakamise-dori, where a red torii gate marked the entrance to Enoshima Shrine. Here, we faced a series of staircases that led to Enoshima Shrine at the top of the hill. AL wasn’t too comfortable with climbing stairs so AL and FL decided not to proceed further, and they turned back and continued their shopping, while mum, dad and I went ahead. It was quite a lot of steps and I knew dad was very tired already, but he soldiered on slowly. I can only wish that I can still be as fit as him when I’m his age 40 years from now.

Actually, you can take an escalator to the top of Enoshima. The Enoshima “Escar” has three sections and a ride on the Escar costs 360 yen (S$3.24). It takes 4 minutes compared to 20 minutes by walking the stone stairs. Note that the escalator is one-way only and you’ll still need to climb the steps on your way down. In hindsight, seeing how tired dad was, I should have gone for the Escar option to save him some energy.

Upon reaching the top of the first section, we saw Hetsumiya, the first of the three shrines that make up Enoshima Shrine. This worship hall was built by a Buddhist monk, Ryoshin, in 1206 and renovated in 1976. We also saw two other smaller shrines, Hoanden and Yasaka Shrine, which enshrine the goddess Benzaiten and guardian deity Gozu Tenno respectively.

We continued climbing up and reached the top, where we had a nice view of the yacht harbour below and the Enoshima Sea Candle, a 60-metre-tall lighthouse that offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area, including Mount Fuji to the west on a clear day. A ticket to the Sea Candle costs 500 yen (S$4.50) and we didn’t pay to go up.

We followed the path and climbed some steps down to Oiwaya Street. At one point, we had a stunning view of a dramatic gap between two steep cliffs and the ocean beyond. After that, we could see a few more staircases ahead.

I consulted Google Maps and decided not to proceed further along the path, which would have led us to the western end of the island, where the third Enoshima Shrine, Okutsumiya, and the Enoshima Iwaya Caves were. It was a dead end and we would have to turn back anyway. So instead, we made a right turn and walked along a smaller and much quieter road through the forest. This section reminded us of our little hike at Penang Hill last year. This small path eventually led us back to the red torii gate, so we completed one loop around the top of Enoshima hill.   

We browsed at some of the shops on the way down, but they weren’t as interesting as those at Komachi-dori earlier, so we didn’t spend much time browsing. I did indulge in a blue-coloured soft serve ice-cream (500 yen/S$4.50) as a reward for today’s hard work. It was really an excuse because blue is my favourite colour, and you don’t see blue ice-cream that often.

We met up with FL and AL at the entrance of Enoshima Benzaiten Nakamise-dori, and walked across the causeway once again towards the mainland. At 4:30pm, the sun was starting to set and it wasn’t so hot anymore. However, it was not a clear day so we didn’t manage to see Mount Fuji this time round.

Upon reaching the end of the causeway, instead of taking the long way back through Subana-dori to Enoshima station (for the green Enoden Line), we turned left and walked to Katase-Enoshima station (for the blue Odakyu Line), which was much nearer. The entrance of Katase-Enoshima station was very cool – it looked like a castle rather than a railway station. In fact, it was designed to evoke Ryugujo (Dragon Palace), an opulent castle in a Japanese folktale.

This Odakyu Line from Katase-Enoshima to Fujisawa is included in our Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass so we could ride it for free. We caught the 4:50pm train and arrived at Fujisawa station just 6 minutes later. From there, we transferred to another Odakyu train to take us back to Shinjuku station. The journey took exactly an hour and we arrived at Shinjuku station at 6:15pm.

We decided to have Yoshinoya for dinner, and I saw on Google Maps that the nearest outlet was located at Keio Mall, just beside Shinjuku Station. But Shinjuku being Shinjuku, it is a maze everywhere and it took us a while to locate Yoshinoya at the underground part of the mall.

The seating layout of this Yoshinoya outlet is very different from the ones we have in Singapore. It is like a bar concept with three long tables and bar stools affixed to the ground. Two of the rows face each other, with an aisle in between for the staff to walk through and serve the meals. It is designed with solo diners in mind as every seat has a tablet attached so each customer can order his/her own food. You can toggle between Japanese, English and Chinese languages on the tablet so it is very tourist-friendly.

Besides the novel dining concept, what I love most about Yoshinoya in Japan is its extensive menu. Yoshinoya is best known for its gyudon (beef bowl) but in Japan, they also offer curry rice, fried chicken rice bowls, pork dishes and many side dishes like potato salad and kimchi. But my favourite is the unagi (broiled eel) don. And it is not expensive – 1,207 yen (S$10.86) for the regular bowl, about S$1 cheaper than in Singapore. From what I recall, Unagi Don was not available in Yoshinoya Singapore in the past but I just realised from writing this post that we have it here too. Gonna eat it more often now!

The food was served very fast, less than five minutes after placing our orders. And it was nice to have the food served to our tables as well. My Unagi Don was so delicious, craving satisfied, yum!

After finishing our dinner at 7:00pm, FL and AL went back to the hotel to deliver dinner for AA while mum, dad and I continued shopping. I went to the Book-Off store at Shinjuku Station West while mum and dad shopped at Keio Mall just across the road. This Book-Off outlet is pretty big, with four floors selling CDs, DVDs, games, books, comics and toys. As always, I managed to snag some cheap secondhand CDs to complete my day.

When I met up with mum and dad at Keio Mall again at 8:00pm, it was closing time for the department store so all the employees stood at their respective departments and bowed as we walked past them on the way to the exit. This only happens in Japan, where it is customary for staff to bow as a sign of respect or to convey their gratitude.

We were back at our hotel at 8:20pm. Honestly, we were all tired from the long day of travelling and walking. I enjoyed revisiting Kotoku-in and shopping at Komachi-dori. It was also time to pack our luggage because we will be leaving Tokyo for Hakone tomorrow. And that’s the end of Day 3!