Ryuren no Kane

Off the coast of Fujisawa, just outside Kamakura, Enoshima is a scenic island popular among couples due to its romantic reputations. For instance, there is a “lovers’ hill,” a secluded escape covered with love locks and topped with a lucky bell called Ryuren no Kane, or “Dragon Love Bell.”

The hill is a typical tourist attraction, a so-called “power spot,” and it is said that couples who ring the bell together will stay together for life. But the Enoshima legend that inspired its conception, which concerns the romance between a dragon and a goddess, happens to be a rather dark one.

Legend has it that there once lived a tyrannical dragon who reigned over the Koshigoe area of Kamakura and demanded human child sacrifice. He fell in love with Benzaiten, the guardian goddess of Enoshima, however, and finally mended his ways when she reprimanded him for his horrible deeds.

Though the love story of the dragon and the goddess is well-known and repeated across Enoshima, many tourists are unaware of the grim aspects of the legend. Did the dragon deserve redemption and love? Well, that’s up to your interpretation.