Wednesday 15 February 2017

A Hint of Spring on the Enoshima Line

5011F of the EMU Shonan Monorail 5000 series arrives at Shonan-Fukasawa Station

Enoshima is famous for its temperate climate. It faces the Pacific Ocean to the south. The influx of the Kuroshio warm current influences this mild climate. We can see many flowers there even in winter. One of the well-known flowers is a weeping plum in Joritsu-ji temple. In Japan, plum is grown for fruit cultivation or just ornament. Weeping plum is a typical example of the latter. From January to February, the weeping plum tree in Joritsu-ji temple has many white blossoms. It heralds that spring is in the not-so-distant future. The plum blossoms are very beautiful backed by the blue sky.

To see this gorgeous tree, the nearest station is Shonan-Enoshima on the Shonan Monorail-Enoshima Line. The Enoshima Line was opened in 1974 between Ofuna and Shonan-Enoshima stations. The operating length is 6.6 km. The suspended system is adopted the same as the Chiba Urban Monorail Line and the Toei Ueno Zoo Line. The track is single and the electric system is 1,500 V DC. The EMU 5000 series is the only group of trains operated on the Enoshima Line. The top photo is 5011F, the 6th set of the 5000 series launched in 2015. It is easy to distinguish from the other trains, as it has black colored stripes.

Boarding the train, enjoy an aerial walk on the Enoshima Line!

Fully blossomed weeping plum tree in Joritsu-ji Temple near Shonan-Enoshima Station