Yokohama
A look at Japan’s port city of Yokohama, the country’s second largest city that’s both historically significant and futuristic.
Yokohama is the 2nd largest city in Japan, located just south of Tokyo
Known as a port city, it was one of the first ports to open to foreign trade in Japan
It is popular for its Chinatown and its seaside district, Minato Mirai
Neighboring Tokyo, the two largest cities in Japan cover so much area that they almost blend together.
Yokohama is home to 3.7 million people and is the capital of Kanagawa prefecture, which is home to other popular destinations like the hot spring resort town of Hakone and beachside area of Kamakura.
It’s a popular place to visit, and was one of my destinations when I first visited Japan as an adult.
How to get there
By train, Yokohama is easily accessible from Tokyo and generally takes 1 to 1.5 hours. The Toyoko Line from Shibuya Station is a direct route along with the Fukutoshin Line from Omotesando Station.
A reflection of the Yokohama skyline
About Yokohama
Yokohama is a photogenic city, especially in the main, Minato Mirai seaside area, where tradition and modernity come together.
It has a hint of an international feel to it due to its storied history. Japan had its borders closed off for some time, and it became an early port to open its doors to international trade. This led to communities being built for Western residents as well as Chinese, amongst others.
Both foreign tourists and Japanese alike visit Yokohama for the variety of entertainment that it offers. The city has popular wedding venues as well due to the existence of both traditional, Western-style buildings and modern ones, along with seaside views.
Being a part of the agency team that helped Yokohama City start up and run its municipal Instagram account as well as conduct related events overseas, I’ve been fortunate to able to get to know the city quite a bit.
Of course I can’t cover everything, but here are a few highlights that I’d recommend someone visiting.
Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Asia and one of the biggest in the world outside of China itself.
It has an area that extends several blocks, and has around 250 shops and restaurants. It’s one of the most popular destinations for people visiting the city.
Aside from the various places to eat and stores to browse, the area itself is beautiful. The lanterns that are strung up above the streets and alleys illuminate the ground below, and it’s almost like taking a mini trip outside of Japan.
MINATO MIRAI
You could say that all of the top destinations in Yokohama are in the Minato Mirai area.
The in-city theme park Cosmo World [J] is here, historical ships like the Nippon Maru, the recognizable half-moon shaped Intercontinental, and the Landmark Tower [J] that gives you 360-degree views of the city from 69 floors up are all here.
Minato Mirai was purposefully developed to be the commercial center that it is. Its name means “Port of the future” and so far it lives up to it.
Misc. Events
I’ve been fortunate enough to see other events, either privately or through work with Yokohama City.
One of my favorites is Yokohama Sparkling Twilight. This is a fireworks show that happens for two evenings in August, and can be viewed from Yamashita Park. One of reasons why I enjoy it is because while it does get crowded, it’s less crowded than most fireworks festivals in Tokyo and the view is better.
Another event that I’ve been fortunate enough to see is the Pikachu Outbreak! event where a ton of Pikachus take over the city. Unfortunately it seems that this annual event has been cancelled.
I made a video while working a couple days in Yokohama on a creative project in case you want to see more of the city. One of our key stops was the Gundam Factory Yokohama, a temporary exhibition with an amazing Gundam that actually moved.
Menya Katsuji
Down a side street near Yokohama Stadium and Kannai Station is Menya Katsuji, a hole-in-the-wall type of ramen shop.
They specialize in beef broth ramen, one of the more uncommon broth types. The broth itself is light, but it’s full of flavor and has a really nice spicy kick to it.
Topped with ingredients like char siu, a soft boiled egg, nori as well as some others, it has a taste that is unique and unlike any other I’ve had in Japan.
It’s delicious and I definitely recommend it.
Keep in touch:
One of the most famous onsen hot spring resort areas in Japan, Hakone makes for a nice weekend trip right outside of Tokyo.