Enoden Railway

The Enoshima Electric Railway opened in 1902 and runs about ten kilometres between Kamakura and Fujisawa in fifteen stops, and its character comes from how tightly it is threaded through what was already there: in Koshigoe it runs down the middle of a public road with cars beside it, elsewhere it passes within centimetres of house walls and washing lines, and between Kamakura-Kokomae and Shichirigahama it comes out on the coast with the sea and Enoshima ahead. The level crossing at Kamakura-Kokomae, with the sea behind it, appears in the opening of Slam Dunk and draws a permanent crowd of photographers, which has become a problem for traffic and residents; signs now ask people to stay off the road. Old and new cars run mixed. It is the practical way to reach Hasedera, the Great Buddha and Enoshima without a car.

The main sights

• Street running - the train sharing a public road with cars at Koshigoe.
• Centimetres from houses - the line threaded past walls and gardens.
• The coastal stretch - sea and Enoshima ahead between two stations.
• The Kamakura-Kokomae crossing - the level crossing from Slam Dunk, permanently photographed.

When to go

All year; a one-day pass makes hopping off worthwhile. Half a day.

What to expect

Trains are short and extremely crowded at weekends and in blossom season - waiting for two or three is normal. The famous crossing is on a live road and photographers standing in it are a hazard and a nuisance to residents. Seats are few.

Nearby

Kamakura's temples are at the eastern end; Enoshima is in the middle.