Enoshima

A few weekends ago, Daria and her boi were visiting from Romania and we took them on a day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima. I still can't believe we didn't end up getting any photos together! It was such a beautiful beautiful day though- overcast and barely drizzly, so all the moss and ferns and other greenery were extra deep and glossy- optimum Japan viewing conditions. Enoshima is one of my very favourite places I have ever been, and I don't think I can ever get sick of it. We were a little shocked at how touristy and developed it has gotten since our last visit a few years ago, but all of the old charm is still there. It's a tiny seaside town that carries on onto a little island sticking out of the sea, connected by a bridge. Lots of people nickname it Cat Island because there are tons of stray cats hanging out all over the place. We spent the afternoon exploring the nooks and crannies of the island, and even found a little shop selling around 30 flavors of ice cream. I got Hokkaido corn cream soup flavour and it was oh-ee-shee.

















The most famous snack to get at Enoshima is the giant octopus sembei. It's a paper thin rice cracker with a whole octopus in the middle, somehow perfectly flattened and cooked. It's pretty crazy to watch them being made- I believe I posted a video of the process from my last visit. Pretty cool stuff. The octopus logo is all over Enoshima, and I couldn't resist wearing my cute lil red octopus pin to match. It reminds me so much of the water monsters in Zelda that spit nuts at you. Yet another reason to start my Japan is a Video Game Tumblr......which I am still too lazy to get up and running....











One of my favourite places in Enoshima is the old timey shooting arcade. It feels like right out of zelda- it's so colourful inside and feels vaguely nostalgic. There are little figurines lining the shelves and you pay to shoot a cork gun at them. If you can knock one off the shelf, it's yours to keep! Ryan and I each won a little fox and I'm excited to put them in terrariums at home. I love playing and winning a little prize every time we visit.

Another really cool part of Enoshima is the sea caves, where you can wander through a network of tunnels formed by the ocean by lantern light. It's magical.




Love,
From Japan,
Kathryn