Useful Information



Yokohama (横浜) is Japan's second largest city with a population of over three million. Yokohama is located less than half an hour south of Tokyo by train and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture.

Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868), during which Japan maintained a policy of self-isolation, Yokohama's port was one of the first to open to foreign trade in 1859. Consequently, Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities. Until today, Yokohama remains popular among expats, has one of the world's largest Chinatowns and preserves some former Western residences in the Yamate district.


Top Attractions in Yokohama


Sankeien Garden
* Traditional Japanese landscape garden
Sankeien (三溪園) is a spacious Japanese-style garden in southern Yokohama which exhibits a number of historic buildings from across Japan. There is a pond, small rivers, flowers and wonderful scrolling trails that make you think you are in Kyoto.

 

Minato Mirai 21
* Yokohama’s new city center
Minato Mirai 21 (みなとみらい 21) is a seaside urban area in central Yokohama whose name means "harbor of the future". It has many large high-rises, including the Landmark Tower, which was Japan's tallest building from 1993 until 2014. The area was a large shipyard until the 1980s, when development began to turn it into a new city center.

 

Zoorasia
* Large, well kept zoo in the city outskirts
Zoorasia (ズーラシア) is one of Japan's newest, largest and best kept zoos. The zoo was established in 1999, and since then has been operating under the themes of "Symbiosis of Life" and "Harmony with Nature". The animals are generally kept in spacious areas that mimic their natural habitat to a degree that is not usually seen in Japanese zoos.

 

Yokohama Chinatown
* The largest of Japan’s three chinatowns
Yokohama Chinatown (横浜中華街, Yokohama Chūkagai) is Japan's largest Chinatown, located in central Yokohama. A large number of Chinese stores and restaurants can be found in the narrow and colorful streets of Chinatown. Various events and festivals such as Chinese New Year around the beginning of February are also held at Chinatown.

 

Cup Noodles Museum
* Museum about instant cup noodles
The Cup Noodles Museum (also known as the 安藤百福発明記念館, Andō Momofuku Hatsumei Kinenkan) is a fun and interactive museum in Yokohama's Minato Mirai District that shows the history of instant ramen noodles using a combination of whimsical exhibits and hands on workshops. It was opened by the Nissin Food company, whose founder invented instant ramen noodles in 1958 as a fast and convenient food. It is the second cup noodles museum to open in Japan; the first is the Cupnoodles Museum in Ikeda, north of Osaka.

 

Food and Restaurants


Experience Japan's Cultural Awakening with Gyu-nabe
Ohtanawanoren, a restaurant in the city, continues to serve gyu-nabe, a hot pot, and Japanese take on beef stew, made with beef cubed like dice, miso and green onions all stewed over an earthen charcoal brazier in a specially made shallow pot. Other long-storied restaurants famous for their gyu-nabe include Janomeya and Arai-ya, first established in the late 1800s.

 

 

Yokohama is where Napolitan and Seafood Doria were invented
Napolitan is a popular pasta dish created in Yokohama. The dish is said to have been first invented by the Shigetada Irie, Head Chef of Hotel New Grand, a classic hotel and symbol of the city. After the end of World War II, the chef saw Occupation Forces pour ketchup over boiled pasta, so he came up with an idea to make the dish more appetizing by adding garlic and onions that go perfectively with tomato sauce. The chef named this dish Spaghetti Napolitan.

 

 

Bashamichi Ice - A Taste of Meiji Era
Ice cream in Japan is said to have started as "Aisukurin" made by Fusazo Machida at Bashamichi in Yokohama back in 1869. Today's recipe for Bashamichi Ice, which is adjusted a bit for modern pallets, features a simple taste that is somehow nostalgic at the same time.
(Yokohama Bashamichi Ice).

 

 

Taste the Original Yokohama Cocktail
Louis Eppinger, Manager of the Grand Hotel, invented Japan's first original cocktail called the Bamboo in 1889.
See Bars and Nightlife for list of bars.


 

 

Transportation


Travel To Yokohama

Explanation of transportation toward Yokohama. The train and the bus route map, etc. are displayed.

Getting Around Yokohama

Yokohama Train Map
Find the train route map of Yokohama City here.

Tour Bus and Taxi
Information on sightseeing buses and taxis touring Yokohama city.

Tour Boat and Sightseeing Ship
Information on sightseeing boat touring Yokohama City.

Eco-friendly Transportation
Learn about the unique means of transportation available in Yokohama: rental bicycles, Velotaxis, “Jinrikisha”, etc.