An island shrine path, octopus cracker in hand
Enoshima is a small island off the coast south of Tokyo, joined to the shore by a long bridge you walk across, about an hour from Shinjuku on the Odakyu Line. From its bronze torii gate a lane of snack shops climbs to the shrines, and the snack everyone lines up for is a thin cracker made by pressing a whole octopus flat. Eat one as you climb, visit the shrines, then look out over the sea from the tower at the top.
A shop where a whole octopus is laid on a hot iron press and squashed flat in a burst of steam, coming out as a large, thin, crisp cracker. You can often watch it being pressed and eat it hot at the shop front. Lines are common on weekends; you buy a ticket from a machine first, and it may take cash only.
The lane from the bronze torii gate up to Enoshima Shrine, lined on both sides with shops selling snacks to eat as you go. Besides octopus crackers, look for shirasu, tiny whitebait fish, and other seafood bites. It is a narrow uphill lane and gets very crowded on weekends.
The first of the island's three shrines, at the top of the stone steps beyond the lane. It honors Benzaiten, a goddess of water, music and good fortune, and the other two shrines lead on across the island, so you cross it as you visit them. A paid escalator covers part of the climb if the steps are tiring.
An observation tower shaped like a lighthouse at the top of the island, with views along the Shonan coast and, on clear days, to Mt. Fuji. It is lit up at night, and in winter the garden around it holds a light display.