Only in Japan: They have a "candle lending service" at cave. And it is not like it is a dark, lightless place even without the candles - the Enoshima cave has lighting, but obviously the candles are a remarkable addition to the experience. On the other hand, since the candles are actual candles with actual fire, there is now a need to have a fire alarm system, if somebody accidentally sets the cave on fire...
Overall, a super nice experience in the cave, and the island in general as well. Much recommended! On the island you can find observation towers, lights, restaurants, and a spa, even though I was actually unable to find it :-) The is nice hiking, a "love bell" for the lovers, and of course, incredible views of the lush island, cliff faces, the sea, and, spectacular views of Mt. Fuji. Although on the day I was there it was covered mostly in clouds.
But back to he caves. There are actually two caves, cave 1 and 2. Both are part of the show cave. Their coordinates are N 35.298389 E 139.475556 and N 35.298174 E 139.476748. Here's a map of the caves:
The caves are ancient sea caves, formed when the island's cliff faces were at a different level, and waves kept hitting some cracks in the rock. Cave 1 is 153 meters long and cave 2 is 56 meters. They are indeed beautifully lit, have nice roofs above entrances, and well-constructed walkways. For the most part one can just walk in the cave, but in few places one needs to lower one's head to not hit the ceiling. The cave is well decorated and protected against accidental roof rock fall. Maybe to the extent that it feels a bit less like a natural cave. The sides of the cave are full of statues, for instance.
There is an entrance fee, around 1000 local (9€) gives you access to both the caves and a number of other attractions on the island. You can buy these tickets before taking the bridge to the island.
I found the stories around the cave most interesting. The main story is about a many-headed evil dragon that falls in love with a maid. They get each other, and dragon plays nice from that point onwards :-)
I also laughed out loud when I read about the Fuji connection story. There's an ice cave on Mt. Fuji, some tens of kilometers away. The people looking a the Enoshima cave felt some cold air come from the cave (as often happens with caves), and immediately deduced that there must be a connection to the Mt. Fuji cave because of the cold air :-)
More information from the caves and the island can be found from Wikipedia and various local travel sites such as this or this.
Cave 1:
Cave 2:
The Shinto Shrine in the middle of the island:
Train station for arriving to the island. Wonderful!
There were also two other tiny caveats nearby that I could spot. Well, not really even caveats, just tiny holes few meters across, formed by the sea. They are in coordinates N 35.298916 E 139.474808 and N 35.298459 E 139.475269. I also made a map and a 3D model (view, download) of the first of these. Here are some pictures:
Read more urban exploration stories from theurbanexplorer.net, and other underground stories from planetcaver.net. Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot or TGR. Photos, videos, and text (c) 2023 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved.
