I first visited Yokohama 6 years ago, and it’s one of my favourite getaway destinations from Tokyo. Accessible in less than an hour from Tokyo by train, Yokohama is also geographically close and therefore convenient. I always try to make time for Yokohama whenever I’m in Tokyo, and I would implore anyoneーespecially first-timersーto pay a visit there even for half a day. Here are some of the highlights of things to do in Yokohama.
Chinatown (横浜中華街)
There are 3 Chinatowns in Japan altogether, and Yokohama is home to the biggest one (the other two are in Nagasaki and Kobe). It is here where visitors can experience the culture of the Chinese diaspora in Japan, a place where Chinese traders began commercial businesses since the city opened to foreign trade in 1859.
Local and foreign visitors would flock here for two reasons: sightseeing and food. Every Chinatown around the world is said to be different from one another, and the one in Yokohama is no different. Apart from witnessing the many larger-than-life temples found throughout the district, visitors can also experience some of the best Chinese cuisine in Japan here.
I don’t get to visit many Chinatowns in other countries; the only ones I have visited are the one back home in Singapore and the other in Manhattan, New York City. Every Chinatown has a unique identity; throughout history, the vast Chinese community has spread across the globe and fused their own culture with their newfound homes. The one found in Yokohama is worth visiting multiple times throughout the year; it’s always a feast for the senses!
Chinatown (横浜中華街)
Address: Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023
Access: 5-minute walk from JR Ishikawacho Station (JR石川町駅)
Minato Mirai 21 (みなとみらい 21)
Minato Mirai 21 is a seaside commercial area in central Yokohama. Translated as ‘Harbour of the Future’, it used to be a large shipyard area until the 1980s when it was gradually transformed into a commercial hub. With a panoramic sea view, Minato Mirai 21 is a favourite hangout spot for every visitor to Yokohama as it has something for everyone, from entertainment venues and shopping malls, to restaurants and museums.
One of the outstanding features of Minato Mirai 21 is the Landmark Tower, a 296m structure spectacle that used to be Japan’s tallest structure from 1993 to 2014. The must-visit spot in the tower is the Sky Garden, located at 273 metres and offering a mesmerising view of the entire seaside.
The first time I came to Minato Mirai 21 six years ago, I felt like I was stepping into Tokyo’s Odaiba. Modernistic and picturesque, it has just about everything for everyone (there’s even a Ferris wheel on top of a shopping complex!). One of the iconic structures that caught my attention is the Red Brick Warehouses (赤レンガ倉庫), a place that provided shipyard services when the area was still in the maritime services and has since been converted into a chic shopping complex. My visit to Yokohama was brief, and if I ever had the time to come here again, I would without hesitation.
Minato Mirai 21 (みなとみらい 21)
Address: Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0012
Access: 5-minute walk from JR Sakuragicho Station (JR桜木町駅)
Harbor View Park & Yamashita Park (港の見える丘公園・山下公園)
For visitors who are fans of unforgettable views, Harbor View Park and Yamashita Park are two places they don’t want to miss. The Harbour View Park offers an amazing panoramic view of the entire Yokohama harbour, and at night transforms into a romantic observation post. Visitors can also see the Yokohama Bay Bridge on a clear day from here.
Whilst the Harbor View Park is ideally a night park, Yamashita Park is perfect for daytime. Stretching across the Yokohama Port, this park isn’t just any ordinary park; it has a rose garden, a water guardian statue gifted by Yokohama’s sister city San Diego, and the Seagull Sailor (鴎の水兵さん) monument. Visitors can have a relaxing moment of escapism right here, away from the bustling city.
Harbor View Park & Yamashita Park (港の見える丘公園・山下公園)
Address: 279 Yamashita-chō, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023
Access: 20-minute walk from JR Ishikawacho Station (JR石川町駅)
Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum (新横浜ラーメン博物館)
The main reason for me to visit Yokohama, above everything else, was to visit the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum (I mean, should you be surprised at this point?). I’m not a fan of museums per se, but when it’s a ramen museum, I’ll make a big exception. But even for a non-ramen fan, it would surprise them to see how much history and culture go into a bowl. At the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, you will experience the entire history behind the unassuming dish that has carved its own identity in the world of Japanese cuisine.
Not only does the museum detail the historical lineage of ramenーfrom the humble beginning in Hakodate to its renaissance in the 20th centuryーvisitors can also learn about all the fundamentals and the various styles of ramen they can find throughout Japan, from the hearty tonkotsu ramen in Hakata to the salty-buttery miso ramen in Sapporo.
There is a ramen street in the basement of the museum styled after Shitamachi of 1958, the old town of Tokyo. Here visitors can choose from a variety of ramen joints that have gathered from all over Japan. It’s only befitting that a trip to a ramen museum ends with a bowl of ramen, isn’t it?
Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum (新横浜ラーメン博物館)
Address: 2-14-21 Shinyokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 222-0033
Access: 10-minute walk from JR Shin-Yokohama Station (JR新横浜駅)
Closing
Yokohama is just one of the many other short getaways that travellers can consider while based in Tokyo. Taking the train is a cinch: JR East’s railway network makes these getaways seamless and even enjoyable. Compared to Tokyo, I feel Yokohama is chicer and worth spending a day.
JR TOKYO Wide Pass
The JR TOKYO Wide Pass is an affordable pass offering unlimited rail travel on JR East lines (including bullet trains) in the valid area for 3 consecutive days. At ¥15,000, you can use it to travel from Tokyo to Yokohama, and many other places within the designated areas, such as Nikko, GALA Yuzawa, Karuizawa and more. You can also make seat reservations online for free, up to 1 month in advance, on the JR-EAST Train Reservation.
Header image credit: JR East / Nazrul Buang
