Friday 16 February 2018

Winter Visit to Kamakura on the Enoden Line

EMU Enoden 1000 series travels between Enoshima and Koshigoe stations

Kamakura is known as a historic city where the bakufu (shogunate government) was located from 1185 to 1333. It is situated on the Pacific Ocean to the south; meanwhile, there are steep mountains to the north, east and west as a natural fortification in the samurai era. Kamakura is also known for its warm climate. Even in winter, it remains warm in the city. Last December, I visited Kamakura with my family to enjoy the final stage of its "autumn leaves" and a tranquil garden in a Buddhist temple.

We visited Hokokuji temple. It was a 20 minute walk from Kamakura Station. Although it was the weekend, the precinct of the temple was quiet. I could compose my mind and view the beautiful "autumn leaves" backed by a gorgeous bamboo forest. Viewing the garden, we also enjoyed a cup of green tea in a hermitage of the temple.

To get to Kamakura, we took the local railway, Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway) from Fujisawa terminal. Enoden was opened in 1902 connecting Fujisawa and Kamakura stations (10 km). The track is 1,067 mm-wide single. The electric system is 600 V DC overhead. Trains are operated every 12 minutes during the daytime. One of my favorite sections is a street running between Enoshima and Koshigoe stations. The track is shared with a busy public road there. Passengers can see the train weaving its way through the crowded automobiles. It is a quite thrilling scene. People's lives along the track are also seen closely.

Garden of Hokokuji temple near Kamakura Station

Official information about the EMU Enoden 1000 series (in Japanese):
Official information about Enoshima Electric Railway: