Enoshima Island Japan
If you visit Japan, try to move beyond Tokyo. For the garden enthusiast, there are some real gems well worth a visit tucked away in corners all over the country. One such place is Enoshima Island.
Enoshima is an island, 4 km across, located within a couple of hours south of Tokyo. Much of the island is rich in historical and horticultural features which can be viewed as you make your way through a series of stairways and terraces to a peak with spectacular views up and down the coast. On a clear day, the view extends to Mt Fuji in the west.
At the peak is an unexpected garden, established in the 1800s by an Englishman. Samuel Cocking (1842–1914) was an English merchant who came to Japan in 1869, married a Japanese woman, and proceeded to trade in the export of herbs. He established a 660 sq. metre greenhouse on the peak of Enoshima, and drew a great deal of public attention. In due course this became the focus of a botanic garden which opened in 1880. At one stage the garden boasted over 5,000 plants and 165 species.
In 2003 the garden was restored as the Samuel Cocking Garden. The remains of the greenhouse, including underground rooms can be viewed. This garden today attracts over half a million visitors each year.
Other facilities within the garden include a café, lookout, gift shop and toilets.
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