Yokohama City Guide 横浜

Population: 3M
Location: South of Tokyo, around 30min by train.
Yokohama’s port was the 1^st one to be opened to foreign trade in 1859 after the end of the self-isolation policy, making the city go from a small fishing village to the 2^nd largest city in Japan. It is famous for its Chinatown.
Yokohama’s Chinatown is the largest in Japan and in Asia.

Chinatown: Home to Japan’s largest community. This Chinatown has more than 500 Chinese restaurants and shops. You can also experience some of Yokohama’s most exciting themed festivals.
Kannai: Heart of the administrative and commercial Yokohama on the historic waterfront.
Minato Mirai 21: Literally means “Harbor of the future”. This district is known for its shopping opportunities and tall buildings, one of which is the Landmark Tower from its height of 296 it was the tallest building in Japan until 2014. This district also has an amusement park.
Sakuragicho/ Noge area: Noge was excluded from the redevelopment in the 90s. This is why this district looks like what Japan used to be during the Showa Era (1925-1989). This means that this part of the city as a slower rhythm, with jazz clubs, street-side restaurants. In October there is a Jazz Festival in Yokohama and it is held in Noge.
Yamate and Motomachi: Yokahama was one of the first city to have welcomed foreigners after Japan’s isolation policy. And this district in particular is where the foreign traders settled in and renamed it “The Bluff”. Nowadays it remained a spot for western residents, with international schools, churches and so on. The streets still have a European feel to them. You can visit some of the residence houses where famous historical people used to live.

Sankei-en Garden: Japanese style garden of over 175 000 square meters. The garden is composed of historical houses and buildings which have been considered of cultural significance by the government. Those buildings and houses were brought in this park from all over Japan (for example: a Pagoda from Kyoto constructed in the mid-1400s was relocated in Yokohama in 1914. The garden used to be the private home of a wealthy silk merchant.
Landmark Tower: Highest observation deck in Yokohama and the fastest elevator in the country (69 floors in 40s). It will give you a 360-degree panoramic view of Yokohama and even Mt Fuji if the weather allows it.
Cup Noodles Museum: Food education and experience-based museum. Founded by Monofuku Ando from the bran Nissin. You can even make your own cup noodle from the very beginning until the end and take it back home to eat it!
Shomyoji Temple: This temple is off the beaten track, which means that it has a lot less visitors than other temples. Because it had a quiet history it was able to collect and preserve a large collection of ancient art and books.

Yokohama Noh Theater: Noh is a type of classical Japanese dance-drama performed since the 14^th It is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today.
Nippon Maru: It is a sailing ship built in 1930 and you can visit it!

Gyu-Nabe: which is a beef hot pot. It is a type of Sukiyaki but made in cast iron pot. It is made with large chunks of beef with vegetables cooked in the pot with a miso-based soup. Nabe are perfect for family or dinner with friends and especially popular in winter.
(or drink…) Beer: Yokohama is the birthplace of beer in Japan.