Enoshima Sea Candle at Night: An Evening Trip from Kamakura

The Enoshima Sea Candle is the easiest way to add a proper evening to a day in Kamakura. The glass observation tower stands on Enoshima Island, about 24 minutes from Kamakura Station by the Enoden train, and it stays open until 8:00 p.m. every day. Kamakura's own sights are mostly daytime stops, so this plan uses the afternoon for Kamakura and the evening for Enoshima's sunset and lights.

The timing matters because the island changes completely on December 1, 2026, when the Shonan no Hoseki winter illumination begins. This guide explains how to plan the evening before and after that date, with official hours, prices and the Kamakura stops that fit before dark.

Kamakura after dark: what is actually open

Most Kamakura temples close in the late afternoon, so an evening here needs some planning. Two stops come up in almost every night itinerary, and both have limits.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu keeps its gates open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. all year, and visiting the grounds is free. That makes it the one major Kamakura stop you can still reach after sunset. The shrine's treasure hall and museums keep daytime hours, so treat the grounds as an evening walk, not a full visit.

Hase-dera is a daytime stop. From July to March it is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the last entry is at 4:30 p.m. Admission is ¥400 for adults. From April to June the hours run 30 minutes later. If you want to see the Great Hall and garden, finish the visit before 4:30 p.m., then take the Enoden from Hase Station toward Enoshima.

For a full list of daytime temples and routes, use our things to do in Kamakura guide. In November the leaf color is the main draw, which our Kamakura in November guide covers.

Why the Enoshima Sea Candle works as the evening stop

The Sea Candle is an observation lighthouse inside Samuel Cocking Garden. The glass room sits 101.5 meters above sea level, with an outdoor deck above it. On a clear day you can see Mount Fuji, the Izu Peninsula, Hakone and the Tanzawa Mountains. After dark the view turns to the lights of the Shonan coast.

The Enoshima Sea Candle tower. Photo: Maksym Grinenko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The tower is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with last entry at 7:30 p.m. Adult admission is ¥800 and children pay ¥400, with adults defined as junior high school students and older. The garden is free before 5:00 p.m., and all evening on days without an event.

This post is about the evening. If you want the island's shrines, caves and seafood stalls in daylight, our Kamakura and Enoshima day trip guide covers that.

Getting from Kamakura to Enoshima by Enoden

The Enoden is the small seaside train that links Kamakura, Hase and Enoshima. It runs from Kamakura Station to Enoshima Station in about 23 minutes, and the adult fare is ¥260. You can pay with a Suica or Pasmo card. Hase Station is a stop on the same line, so you can visit Hase-dera on the way.

From Enoshima Station, the official access guide says the garden is about a 25-minute walk. You cross the Benten Bridge and walk up the shop-lined Benzaiten Nakamise street toward the red torii gate of Enoshima Shrine. The Enoshima Escar, a three-section escalator that starts to the left of the torii, climbs 46 meters in about four minutes and costs ¥500 for all three sections. It ends near the garden entrance.

Enoden trains run often during the day, but service thins out later in the evening. Check the official Enoden timetable for the return trip before dinner. Enoshima is also served by the Odakyu Line at Katase-Enoshima Station, about a 20-minute walk from the garden, which is useful if you are heading back toward Shinjuku.

The evening before Shonan no Hoseki starts

Until the winter event begins on December 1, there is no scheduled evening illumination event. The autumn event, Shonan Candle, ends in early November. On days with no event the garden is free, and the Sea Candle keeps its normal 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. hours.

That still makes a good evening if you time it around sunset. Go up the tower before the light fades, stay for the color over the water, and come back down as the coastline lights come on. You pay only the ¥800 for the tower, plus the Escar if you use it.

View over the garden and the harbor from the Sea Candle in February 2022. Photo: SuFlyer / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (public domain).

Shonan no Hoseki 2026-2027: dates, hours and prices

Shonan no Hoseki, or Shonan Jewel, runs from December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. It is the island and Katase coast's main winter illumination, and it was named one of Japan's three great illuminations in 2025. This is its 27th year, and the organizers describe new art objects and seasonal lights in Christmas and Valentine's colors.

DatesLighting hoursWeekdays, and December 31 to January 35:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.Weekends, holidays, and December 19 to 305:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.From January 16Lights start at 5:30 p.m.

During the event, the garden charges ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for children after 5:00 p.m. The Sea Candle is ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children. The Enoshima Iwaya Caves cost ¥500 for adults and close at 5:00 p.m., so they are a daytime stop even though the caves are lit.

The Escar costs ¥500, so separate tickets for the garden, tower and escalator add up to ¥1,800 per adult. The official ticket page lists a night set ticket for adults at ¥1,550 and for children at ¥750, sold only during events. The set covers the garden, the Sea Candle and the Escar. The official ticket page lists where and when it is sold.

What the evening costs for one adult

These figures use the official prices checked on November 10, 2026. The Enoden fare is from Kamakura Station, round trip.

ItemBefore December 1December 1 to February 28Enoden, Kamakura to Enoshima and back¥520¥520Sea Candle tower¥800¥800Garden after 5:00 p.m.Free¥500Escar escalators, optional¥500¥500Total with the Escar¥1,820¥2,320

Hase-dera adds ¥400 if you visit it in the afternoon. During the winter event, buying the night set ticket instead of separate tickets brings the island part down to ¥1,550 for the garden, tower and Escar, so the total drops to ¥2,070 with the train.

A sample evening from Kamakura

Treat this as a flexible plan. Adjust it for the season and for how long you want to spend at each stop.

Late afternoon in Kamakura

Start in Kamakura in the early afternoon. Visit Hase-dera first and be through the gate before the 4:30 p.m. last entry. If you want one more stop, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu works better earlier in the day, because the Enoden to Enoshima takes you away from it. If you would rather finish in Kamakura, the shrine grounds stay open until 8:00 p.m.

Sunset on Enoshima

Take the Enoden from Hase to Enoshima and walk toward the island. The official guide recommends arriving before sunset, so you can enjoy both the sunset and the lights. From December 1 the lights come on at 5:00 p.m., or 5:30 p.m. from January 16, so aim to be at the garden well before that.

After dark

Go up the Sea Candle once the lights are on, then walk through the garden. During Shonan no Hoseki the official schedule also lists lighting at the three Enoshima Shrine sites, the Nakatsu-miya plaza, the path to the caves and the palm trees along Route 134. The Enoshima Aquarium has a ribbon tree display from December 1 to 25.

Weather can change what is lit or open, and the organizers say details may change, so check the official Sea Candle site on the day. If you are riding the Enoden back, check the last train times at Enoshima Station before you go up the tower.

Making the evening easier with a private guide

The trains are simple, but the Escar queue, weekend crowds and the walk from the station can eat into your evening. A private guide can plan the route around your pace, including Kamakura in the afternoon and the transfer to Enoshima. Look at our Kamakura private day tour from Tokyo or our Kamakura and Yokohama 2-day private tour for ideas. An evening on Enoshima is not part of the standard day tour, so tell us when you book and we will confirm what is possible. Entry tickets are paid separately unless we say otherwise.

Featured photo: sunset over the sea from Enoshima, with Mount Fuji in the distance. Photo: Takashi Hososhima / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Hours and prices were checked against the official Sea Candle, Hase-dera and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu websites on November 10, 2026 and can change.