Enoshima

Enoshima (江の島) is a small island, about 4 km in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River (片瀬川), which flows into Sagami Bay (相模湾) in Japan. It is linked to the town of Katase on the mainland by a 600 meter-long bridge. Adjacent to the closest beach to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and town are the hub of a popular resort area. Benzaiten, the goddess of music and entertainment, is also enshrined on the island. Enoshima is the center of Shonan (湘南), a resort area along the coast of Sagami Bay known for its scenic beauty.

The island is the scene of the Enoshima Engi (江嶋縁起), a history of the shrines on Enoshima written by the Japanese Buddhist monk Kokei (皇慶) in 1047 A.D.