Yokohama, Japan’s first port of call

Yokohama is a city of exciting contrasts: a mix of business and relaxation, skyscrapers and gardens, glittering scenery and ocean views.

What to expect from Yokohama 

Yokohama is a city of exciting contrasts

Yokohama is a city of exciting contrasts: a mix of business and relaxation, skyscrapers and gardens, glittering scenery and ocean views. It’s Japan’s second-largest city, with one of the largest ex-pat communities in the country, and the largest Chinatown. Located just 30 minutes south of Tokyo, it still has the capital’s cosmopolitan buzz – but it feels far more laid back, with streets lined with colourful art and cool cafés. It’s also very walkable, with most of the main attractions centred around the port.

In part, that’s why Yokohama is often described as ‘Japan’s first port of call’. The whole city is centred around the port, with an increasing number of visitors arriving on cruise ships to explore. In fact, Yokohama was Japan’s literal ‘first port’ – the first city to open up to the outside world after the country’s 200 years of self-imposed isolation. It threw open its gates in 1859 and has been welcoming travellers from afar ever since.

Getting there

By train 

There are several train routes from Tokyo. For the fastest (and cheapest) though, take the JR Tokaido line from Tokyo Station to Yokohama station (25 minutes, from ¥480) or the Toyoko Line from Shibuya Station (25 minutes, ¥280).

The nearest aiport to Yokohama is Haneda Airport. You can reach the city from the airport on certain Keikyu Airport Express trains. (25 minutes, from ¥340).

By boat 

The number of visitors arriving into Yokohama by cruise ships is on the rise year on year. Since it’s an easy city to explore in 24 hours, it makes for a great place to spend the night as part of a longer cruise. Yokohama is the only city in Japan to operate a ‘Cruise Friendly programme’. This new initiative means that cruise visitors to the city will be given a special map, where they can get special discounts and offers at dedicated shops marked up.

How to spend a day in Yokohama 

Morning

Spend the morning in Sankeien

Start your day with some fresh air in Yokohama’s prettiest garden, SANKEIEN GARDEN. The park is huge by Japanese standards – around the size of 100 football fields – but it still retains a classical elegance, making you feel as if you were in a garden in Kyoto. In fact, parts of the garden – including the three-storey pagoda – were transported from Kyoto in the early 1900s, after the garden was opened to the public (before that it was part of the private home of a wealthy silk merchant, Hara Sankei).

Walk beneath the ginkgo trees on the winding paths, watching herons stalk their prey in the ponds. Then stop for a cup of matcha (¥500) at the Sankei Memorial Hall as you take in the garden views.

Afternoon

Sample sake at Meishu Center Yokohama

For lunch, visit Japan’s largest Chinatown. This vibrant area of Yokohama has grown steadily over the past 160 years, ever since Chinese merchants were allowed to enter the port back in the 1800s. Your senses will be overwhelmed as you stroll through the chaotically colourful streets, where vendors tout their food to the streams of hungry visitors. Make sure you try the traditional Cantonese cuisine. 

Another fantastic lunch spot is Yokahama West  Gate, offering a huge array of restaurants. Meat eaters will love Kamakurayama. Translating as roast beef, this restaurant serves up high-quality cuts of beef. Also in the West Gate area is Hoshi no Naruki, plating up multiple courses of traditional dishes, so you can try a little bit of everything. For lunch with a view, opt for Hoshi no Naruki in the Yokohama Sky Building, where you can sample Japanese food while looking out over the glittering city beneath you. 

After lunch, spend your afternoon sampling sake. At Meishu Center Yokohama, one of Japan’s iconic ‘standing’ bars (a small space where everyone crowds in to drink standing up) you can try glasses of artisanal sake (also called Jizake) from small producers from across Japan for just ¥300 to ¥400 per glass.

If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of sake, the bar also runs a sake tasting workshop (roughly ¥12,000) where you can sample as many as 100 sakes from over 50 different craft producers from across Japan. As you drink, you’ll learn about this history and culture of sake from your guide – a Certified Sake Professional (CPS) from America, who opened the bar a few years ago.

Late afternoon 

Visit the CUP NOODLES MUSEUM

If you can still stand after all that sake, head over to Yokohama’s iconic CUP NOODLES MUSEUM near the port. This quirky centre will take you through the history, invention and subsequent boom of the humble cup noodle. While you’re there, you can try making your own instant Chicken Ramen – kneading and steaming the flour before flash-frying it – as well as designing your own pot noodle label: an unusual souvenir to return home with. The museum – particularly the Chicken Ramen Factory – is very busy, so make sure you book ahead. 

Evening 

Spend the evening at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse

Spend the evening in Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama’s bustling harbour area. At night, the ocean reflects the city lights like a kaleidoscope. To see the skyline in full, jump on the Ferris wheel (¥800) – a 15-minute loop that scoops you among the skyscrapers. You should also head to Yokohama’s iconic Red Brick Warehouse – a beautifully rustic building that once acted as a port warehouse. Today, it houses a number of cool shops, bars and restaurants, as well as hosts a rotating calendar of events, including concerts in summer, OctoberFest (for beer) in autumn, and skating rinks in winter.

Stay within the Red Brick Warehouse to visit Motion Blue – a live music venue that has regular bands on stage. Dinner is a modern twist on Japanese ingredients, with dishes like Wagyu beef carpaccio, surf clam in a butter sauce and marinated scallops.  You can wash it down with a variety of original cocktails as you listen to the band play in the moodily lit venue.

Where to stay 

 

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Essential information 

Population: 3.74 million

Time zone: GMT +9

When to go: Year-round. Yokohama is a cool city no matter the season, though summer is particularly nice if you’re looking for local festivals.

Currency: Japanese yen

Language: Japanese (though English is spoken in places geared towards travellers)

Visas: If you have a ‘British Citizen’ or ‘British National (Overseas)’ passport, you can enter Japan as a visitor for up to 90 days without a visa. You may need to provide evidence of a return or onward ticket.

 

Glittering cities and cultural gems make Japan the must-visit country that it is. But how well do you really know the country?

Test your geography, history and travel knowledge with this fun, sometimes tricky, trivia quiz – made with the help of the specialists at GetYour Guide Good luck!

 

1. Japan is made up of islands. How many islands does Japan have in total?

6,852

380

6

5,431

 

2. What is a traditional Japanese inn called?

Onsen

Ryokan

Capsule

Hanok

 

3. We all know Tokyo’s the largest city in terms of population, but where is the second biggest?

Kyoto

Osaka

Yokohama

Nagoya

 

4. Japan’s total population is approx. 127 million, but which European country is similar in size according to landmass?

France

Germany

Spain

United Kingdom

 

5. Before Tokyo, Japan had several other capital cities. Which is the most recent previous capital?

Hiroshima

Osaka

Kyoto

Fukuoka

 

6. How tall is the iconic Mount Fuji?

3,776m

3,776ft

2,893m

2,893ft

 

7. Few ‘original’ castles remain from the Edo period of 1603 to 1868. How many still exist today?

8

12

19

23

 

8. Kyoto is famous for its stunning geisha. But what does the word ‘geisha’ actually translate to?

Person of art

Doll performer

Woman of art

Woman of dance

 

9. Japan is an up-and-coming hiking haven, but which of these timeless walking trails is over 1,000 years old?

Kumano Kodo

Nakasendo Way

Shimanamikaido

Shinestsu Trail

 

10. What is the top operational speed of the Shinkansen aka The Bullet train?

200kmph

260kmph

320kmph

400kmph

 

11. Japan is renowned for its incredible food. Which city is nicknamed the ‘kitchen of Japan’?

Osaka

Kobe

Fukuoka

Nagasaki

 

12. Which quintessentially Japanese dish actually originates from Portugal?

Sushi

Okonomiyaki

Ramen

Tempura

 

13. Which sacred animal is known for wandering through Nara Park?

Gazelle

Deer

Red Squirrel

Horse

 

14. Hokkaido’s red-crowned cranes are iconic. In which part of the island can they be seen all year round?

Shiretoko Peninsula

Kushiro Marshland

Akan-Nashu National Park

Nice try! It’s not in Hokkaido

 

15. In which prefecture can you find the hot spring-bathing Japanese macaque aka snow monkey?

Ishikawa

Kagoshima

Okinawa

Nagano

 

16. In which region would you find the city of Sendai?

Honshu

Chugoku

Tohoku

Shikoku

 

17. Can you identify this famous Japanese castle?

Matsumoto

Osaka

Fushimi-Yagura

Odawara

 

18. Can you identify this Japanese city garden?

Odori Park, Sapporo

Ueno Park, Tokyo

Minoo Park, Minoh

Sankeien Garden, Yokahama

 

19. In which Japanese town would you find this Buddha statue?

Gifu

Kamakura

Nara

Harajuku

 

20. When did the beloved Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka open?

1998

2001

2003

2007

 

21. Can you identify this bamboo forest?

Aokigahara

Tadasu no Mori

Ogasawara

Arashiyama

 

22. Finally, can you identify this Japanese city from its picture?

Nagoya

Kanazawa

Hakodate

Kawasaki

Answers 1 – 6,852, 2 – Ryokan, 3 – Yokohama, 4 – Germany 5 – Kyoto,  6 – 3,776m, 7 – 12, 8 – Person of art, 9 – Kumano Kodo, 10 – 320kmph, 11 – Osaka, 12 – Tempura, 13  – Deer, 14 – Kushiro Marshland, 15 – Nagano, 16 – Tohoku, 17 – Osaka, 18 – Odori Park, Sapporo, 19 – Kamakura, 20 – 2001, 21 – Arashiyama, 22 – Nagoya.    Hope you enjoyed and learned a bit more about Japan!

 

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