Shonan is a seaside area in the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture along Sabami Bay and consists of several cities such as Enoshima, Fujisawa and Chigasaki. Shonan has a chilled and laid back atmosphere crowded by surfers and beach lovers, and it’s one of the top beach destinations from Tokyo. Since it’s very accessible from Tokyo, Shonan is now becoming one of the hottest tourist destinations in Japan among foreign visitors.

Shonan area has numbers of unique tourist attractions including beaches, historical monuments, beautiful nature, stylish cafes, trendy shopping spots and more. Moreover, there are several spectacular photo spots that are totally photo-worthy. Either if you are a beach lover or keen on photography, Shonan is definitely a great place to visit, Today, I have picked 5 most stunning view spots in Shonan area which are totally worth visiting!

1. Inamuragasaki Cape

One of the best things about Shonan area is the view of Mt Fuji. There are several view spots of Mt Fuji in the area that offers the stunning views. One of my favourite spots is Inamuragasaki Cape (稲村ケ崎) at the end of Yuigahama Beach in Kamakura City. There is a view spot that visitors can view the spectacular view of the beach, the ocean, Enoshima Island and Mt Fuji on the background. The best viewing season is during winter when the visibility is pretty high everyday.

Map: http://bit.ly/2B1Wvox

Related Article: Don’t Tell Anybody! 5 Hidden View Spots of Mt Fuji in Kanagawa

2. Enoden

Enoden or Enoshima Electric Railway (江ノ電/江ノ島電鉄) is a railway that connects Kamakura Station and Fujisawa Station through the coastline of Shonan area. It’s very useful train to get around Kamakura and Shonan area since it stops at numbers of stops, and the route includes several scenic view points. The small and retro train, Enoden is also very charming to look at, and it’s great sometimes to get off the train and enjoy photographing the train and the cool Shonan seaside scenery. Around Kamakura-Kokomae Station is a popular photo spot as the rail crossing appeared on the famous animation, Slam Dunk.

Map: http://bit.ly/2Mh0bao

3. Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden

Enoshima is a small offshore island near Kamakura City. This touristy island has numbers of tourist attractions such as a shrine, spa, shops, restaurants, park observatories and more. Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden (江の島サムエル・コッキング苑) and its symbolic lighthouse/observation tower, the Sea Candle are the best highlight of Enoshima island. The botanical garden displays colouful seasonal flowers, and from the lighthouse, visitors can gaze the stunning view of Shonan area and Mt Fuji when the sky is clear. The popular winter illumination event is held at the garden every year from November to February.

Map: http://bit.ly/2vAICIX

More info about Enoshima Winter Illumination:

4. The Route 134

The Route 134 (国道134号線) is the national route along the seacoast in Shonan area connecting Yokosuka City and Oiso City. It’s one of the greatest scenic routes in Japan as you can drive with the cool view of the ocean, the charming townscape of Shonan area and Mt Fuji towards the west. At some of pedestrian bridges on the route 134, spectacular views like the picture above can be captured. Even when the road is pretty busy, slow the shutter speed so the traffic turns to a piece of art! The best viewing time is sunset time when the sky turn into pinky red!

Map: http://bit.ly/2MdcSnx

5. Shonandaira Hills

Shonandaira Hills (湘南平) or also called Komayama Park (高麗山公園) is located between Hiratsuka and Oiso City. It’s at 181m high above the sea level, and has an observation deck which offers a spectacular view of Shonan area and Sagami Bay, as well as Mt Fuji on the west side. It’s a popular romantic date spot among local couples, and there are a lot of padlocks at the observatory. The park is one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in the area in spring. Also, there are several hiking trails to the top of the hill through the beautiful nature.

Map:http://bit.ly/2OUw1IB

Did you enjoy the list?? Shonan area is not still hugely known but it’s one of the best off the beaten track destinations around Tokyo! For more hidden spots in Japan, please check out my other articles, too!

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