The areas from Enoshima to Kamakura are extremely popular locations for those who enjoy both a relaxing beach culture and rich traditional Japanese culture. This is where Enoden, also known as the Enoshima Electric Railway, travels from Fujisawa Station to Kamakura Station for about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). With the popularity of Enoden and the beautiful scenery, this is also a favored location where many movies and animations have been modeled and inspired. Let’s find out what movies have been shot and which animations have been inspired around Enoden!
1. Be a character of Slam Dunk at Kamakurakokomae
One of the most well-known locations, where many domestic and international visitors purposely take Enoden to visit, is Kamakurakokomae. It is the station right in front of Kamakura High School, which is said to be the model of a high school from a popular Japanese manga, which later became anime, Slam Dunk. Slam Dunk is a story about a high school basketball team. It is one of the most popular sports manga/anime of all time, and many people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, even indicate it as a bible to their life because of its exciting story. There are many important life lessons that can be learned through many of great character’s struggles through playing basketball and growing as an individual. You may think it is just an anime, but Japanese anime has such a strong power to inspire not only children, but also adults.
Since many of the popular manga and anime are now spreading around the world, this location attracts many of those who are fans of Slam Dunk, both domestically and internationally. On the day of my visit, this location constantly had 20 to 30 people all eager to take pictures of the scene, which makes you feel as if you are a part of your favorite anime.
2. Commute using Enoden and be a favorite anime character
As well as Slam Dunk, the more recent anime, Ping Pong, has based its story around Enoden. Ping Pong is a story about high school kids playing table tennis, and the characters commute using Enoden to attend high school. In many of the scenes in this anime, you see the characters using Enoden as they visit many of popular locations along Enoden. If you read this manga and are inspired to also take Enoden, you will feel as if you are riding along with the characters of the story. This anime thoroughly illustrates many of great locations along Enoden, so if you have access to this manga or anime in English before your visit, this could be an alternate guidebook to get a good idea of what is around this area. In addition, Ping Pong illustrates the retro style of Enoden extremely well, so you get a good feeling of how special this local train is before your visit.
3. Visit a popular scenic beach at Inamuragasaki
One of the most scenic locations along Enoden is Inamuragasaki, and it is often used in many movies and dramas. It is a highly sought after beach, known for its beautiful view of the ocean, Enoshima, and Mt. Fuji. On a sunny day with a blue sky, you get to see Enoshima right in front of you and Mt. Fuji in the distance. The sunset from this location is also well known for its splendour, thus this is a popular dating spot.
Southern All Stars, the iconic Japanese musicians associated with Shonan, has been inspired by Inamuragasaki and even shot a music video here. The main vocalist from Southern All Stars also made a movie called “Inamura Jean,” inspired by this location. More recently, in 2015 the movie, “Umimachi Diary” (“Our Little Sister” is the English title) was released, and is based on a popular manga. The movie was filmed in many locations along Enoden, and Inamuragasaki is also used for important scenes.
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Inspired by Enoden? Be the next movie director!
In this article, only a few locations have been introduced, but there are several other great places where you can be inspired to write your own story. There are many more animes and movies that have been inspired around this location, and if you visit, you will know why people wish to spend their vacations and even desire to relocate here. Enoden is a special local train with a rich culture as well as traditions, and this is where you might experience the world you saw through particular screens to get an even a deeper understanding of what your favorite anime and movies truly meant to the creators.
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