Samuel Cocking Garden

This is a large botanical garden of about 10,000 sq. meters on the top of the Enoshima Island located in the Shonan area. The British merchant Samuel Cocking had this Japanese-Western botanical garden made in 1882. Tropical plants were planted in the Western circular garden, and there was also a greenhouse considered the largest in Asia at that time. In 1949, it was opened to the public as the Fujisawa City Enoshima Botanical Garden. The garden reopened in April 2003 following renovation as the current Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden. You can enjoy various flowers and plants throughout the year in the garden. There are also many subtropical plants, such as evergreen Araucaria columnaris or Cook's pine, which is designated as a Fujisawa City Natural Treasure, creating a tropical atmosphere. Its observation tower, the Enoshima Sea Candle, is a candle-shaped tower as you can imagine from the name. Its illumination changes by the season and adds beautiful colors to the night view of Shonan. Also in the garden premises is the Matsumoto City pavilion operated by the city of Matsumoto (in Nagano Prefecture), which is a sister city of Fujisawa. You can experience soba noodle making (booking is essential). It is a 20-minute walk from the Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Line.