THINGS TO DO IN FUJISAWA, KANAGAWA | A DAY TRIP
I first heard about Fujisawa last year's Matta Fair when i was working for Kanagawa Prefecture's booth lol, i told myself i WILL visit this prefecture and all its cities someday; so far to date i've already Yokohama, Fujisawa & Kamakura. Ironically i have not visited Hakone yet especially when people usually travel to Kanagawa with the sole purpose of visiting the onsen town that has the iconic view of Mt Fuji over the horizon.
Let's have a little geography lesson on Kanagawa Prefecture!
Kanagawa is part of Kanto region in Japan, less than an hour away from Tokyo and it consists of 19 cities with Yokohama being the capital city.
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Most popular destination for tourists are Yokohama, Kamakura, Odawara (heading to Hakone), not many would stop by other cities except for these 3 but recently Kanagawa tourism board has been trying their best to push other cities as their next up and coming tourist destination; one of it is Fujisawa!
If you love the sea and sunsets, then this city is definitely for you. It not only offers a beautiful scenic route, it is also rich with historal & cultural roots dating back to Edo period.
Did you know that Fujisawa is known as a "posting station" along the Tokaido Route during Edo period starting from Nihonbashi heading to Kyoto which has now been replaced with the Tokaido Shinkansen
That travel route existed way before bullet trains was invented, how cool is that! Back then the journey would take days or months via horse or by foot that is why posting towns were created by the shogunate as a resting area for travelers and messengers.
Right now Fujisawa is a relaxing countryside town that isn't too far off from the sea making it a perfect place for a peaceful travel destination away from the bustling noisy city, not kidding that this city is underrated (for now).
Places to Visit
Enoshime Sea Candle
During winter there's a special illumination event
Benzaiten Nakamise street
During the day you can explore around Benzaiten Nakamise street, there are tons of local street food and souveniers you can get, don't be surprised when you see typical foods like croquet filled with Shirasu (small sardines)! Towns next to the sea, it is expected of them to have seafood as their local delicacy and trust me that these are fresh & delicious regardless eaten raw or cooked. I love Shirasu because it reminds me of ikan bilis back home lol but softer version and lil penguin loves having it in her porridge too.
The gateway of Benzaiten Nakamise street
Tons of shopping & food stores
Shirasu flavored EVERYTHING including soft serve lol
Local specialty - Shirasu (baby sardines)
Bought the Shirasu croquette to try out of curiosity, tempted to get the shirasu soft serve though!
There's even a special Hello Kitty Enoshima store + cafe along Benzaiten Nakamise street
Fans of Hello Kitty would love this souvenir store & cafe as the items sold here are all Hello Kitty x Enoshima collaboration design, you won't be able to find it elsewhere.
Tons of real seashells being sold
Apparently this area is famous for stray cats because it's near the port (where fresh seafood arrives), so you'll see quite a number of cat designs on Enoshima's souvenirs
This cute sauce plate that reveals an animal design when you pour soy sauce in it.
Enoshima shrine
Enoshima shrine is just right at the end of Benzaiten Nakamise street. Takes abit of hiking to reach and has lots of stair steps so it may not be suitable for young children and elderly people. But if you are able to, don't miss out on visiting this shrine as it is ranked as one of Japan’s Three Great Benzaiten Shrines, alongside Hiroshima’s Itsukushima Shrine and Shiga’s Tsukubusuma Shrine.
The main entrance heading up to Enoshima shrine
Just realized that i've proudly visited 2 powerful shrines without knowing it (lol), YESSS!!
People wash their money at the shrine's pond in hope that their earnings will multiply
Jean doing the money washing demo!
While hiking up, you'll be greeted by a breathtaking sea view
More example routes can be found on their official tourism website: http://www.discover-fujisawa.jp/sightseeing/route/
Where to Eat
When it comes to recommended food spots in the area, here is one that i HIGHLY APPROVE because it is just too good. One of the best meals i have ever had in Fujisawa and it's a shame if i did not highlight this restaurant in my entry.
Ibuki Farm Restaurant ( 農家レストランいぶき)
It's a buffet style concept, serving only the freshest locally sourced ingredients with the farm to table concept. This concept may not be new to other parts of the world (my first encounter was in Thailand about 6 years ago) but in Japan they are starting to do this as a means to reduce unnecessary carbon footprints and support local farming communities. So all the food served here are 100% Japan grown and some of them are even organic!
Psst! They are family friendly too :D
I can assure you even those who hates their greens would say that Japan has one of the most freshest & delicious vegetables on earth. Another thing that makes Ibuki Farm Restaurant unique is they make their own seasoning which is used to marinate every single dish giving it a more tender and flavorful outcome. Even the miso soup served here are handmade by the owners, that's more than a personal touch; you can taste the amount of effort and love put into making the food.
So many variety!
Home made soy sauce to pair with the Tamagokakegohan (eggs freshly delivered on the same day)
Their signature dish is their karaage (fried chicken bites), and no joke that you shamelessly refill your plate dunno how many rounds because it's just THAT SIBEH good. I love karaage (on in Japan lol) but i can't eat too much because the normal ones are quite oily but somehow Ibuki's version isn't as oily, it's like the "healthier" version of all fried chicken lol. The boss says the secret is in their homemade seasoning 😲 you'll need to try in on your own to understand what i mean.
How i wish i could get it delivered to Kyoto!
Best Karaage ever!
This restaurant is considered vegan/ vegetarian friendly because they serve alot of vegetable variety and meatless dishes like Tofu prepared in various ways.
From what i heard that this restaurant is quite popular among locals, for less than 2000yen per adult, all you can eat within 90 mins; that is seriously a good deal because every buffet i've come across in major city areas costs double and tastes just average. Best to go early around 11.30am-12pm before the crowd pours in, that way you still have half the day to explore around Fujisawa!
Though there are local buses going around Fujisawa, to me the best way to explore this country/ seaside area is by car especially if you are on a tight schedule. For those with more time to spare, do try out their local public transport as it passes by scenic routes like the Enoshima Electric Railway also known as "Enoden". One of the stations on Enoden line was featured in the popular basketball manga- SLAM DUNK, you might want to hop off & get a shot there :)
I went over to Fujisawa from Shin Yokohama
Spare 1-2 days in Fujisawa after you are done with Tokyo and you won't be disappointed!
So make sure to bookmark this page for your next upcoming trip~
If you are looking for a place to spend the night, you can check out Jean's Airbnb listing.
Yours Truly,
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