Yokohama: Port City Pleasures from Minato Mirai to Chinatown and Sankeien

Yokohama began as a quiet fishing village, and within a few decades of the mid-19th century it had become Japan's window on the world. Today it is the second-largest city in the country, with about 3.7 million residents, and it sits only around half an hour from central Tokyo by train. Yet it has a character of its own: a harbor, brick warehouses, ships, sea breezes and a mix of cultures that gives it a distinctly international feel.

For visitors, Yokohama is an easy day trip or a relaxed overnight stay. This guide traces the city's story from the opening of the port in 1859, then covers Minato Mirai, Chinatown, the Sankeien garden, the Red Brick Warehouse and the Cup Noodles Museum, with practical tips for linking them into a single day.

A Port That Opened Japan to the World

Commodore Matthew Perry arrived just south of Yokohama in 1853 and 1854, and the agreements that followed led the shogunate to open ports to foreign trade. The Port of Yokohama officially opened on June 2, 1859. Merchants, diplomats and traders settled in the area, and the city grew quickly as a gateway for goods, ideas and technology.

Many of Japan's modern firsts arrived through Yokohama. In 1872 the country's first railway connected Yokohama with Shinbashi in Tokyo, and the port became a major center of the silk trade. The city rebuilt after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and later redevelopment turned the waterfront into one of the most attractive urban districts in Japan.

Minato Mirai and the Waterfront

Minato Mirai 21 is a modern district built on reclaimed land beginning in 1983. Its skyline is anchored by the Landmark Tower, about 296 meters tall, and by Cosmo Clock 21, a Ferris wheel that opened in 1989 and was the tallest in the world at the time. After dark, the area glows, and a promenade along the water makes it a lovely place for an evening walk.

Nearby, Yamashita Park opened in 1930 along the harbor, created with debris from the 1923 earthquake, and today it is a green waterfront space with views of ships. Moored there is the Hikawa Maru, a former passenger and cargo ship that is now a museum. The Nippon Maru, a historic sailing ship, is also displayed nearby. Osanbashi Pier is another waterfront landmark for watching vessels come and go.

Up the hill from the harbor, Yamate, known to early foreign residents as The Bluff, is an elevated district overlooking the city, and it preserves the sense of the port's international past. Closer to the center, Yokohama Stadium is the home field of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars baseball team, which makes game days lively in the neighborhood. Together these places show that Yokohama is both a modern big city and a place with deep layers of history.

Chinatown: The Largest in Japan

Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Japan, larger than those of Kobe and Nagasaki. It grew after the port opened in 1859, when Chinese immigrants settled in the area, and it expanded with the trade between China and Japan. A large goodwill gate built in 1955 and several other ornate gates mark the entrances.

Today the district packs about 250 shops and restaurants into a small area, selling steamed buns, dumplings, sweets, tea and souvenirs. The Mazu Miao temple, established in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of Chinatown, honors a goddess of the sea. Go on a weekday for shorter lines, and try a few small portions at different counters rather than one big meal. Streets are busiest at lunch and on weekends.

Chinatown deserves unhurried time. The highest concentration of shops and restaurants sits within an area of only about 300 meters, so it is easy to walk end to end, and the population of the neighborhood is a few thousand people. Be mindful of narrow lanes and keep to the side when taking photos.

Sankeien: A Garden of Relocated Buildings

Sankeien is a Japanese garden in Naka Ward that opened to the public in 1906. The silk merchant Hara Tomitaro, known by his art name Sankei, designed and built it, covering 175,000 square meters. He bought historic buildings from across Japan and moved them here, including the three-story pagoda of Tomyo-ji, brought to the garden in 1914, and the Rinshunkaku, a summer residence once belonging to a member of the Kii Tokugawa family.

Ten structures are designated Important Cultural Properties. The garden was badly damaged in World War II, donated to the city in 1953 and restored to nearly its prewar form by 1958. Plum blossoms, cherry blossoms and autumn leaves each bring crowds, but it is calm and spacious in any season. Allow at least two hours, and wear comfortable shoes for the paths.

Red Brick Warehouse and the Harbor Scene

The Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse sits at Shinko Pier. Building No. 2 was completed in 1911 and Building No. 1 in 1913, both as customs houses. After renovation from 1994 to 1999, the complex opened as a cultural and shopping space in 2002. Building No. 1 hosts exhibitions and performances, while Building No. 2 holds shops and restaurants.

The warehouses are known for seasonal events: an Oktoberfest from late September to mid-October, a German-style Christmas market in late November and December, an ice rink from December to February and a strawberry festival in early spring. Check the schedule for current dates. The brick facade and the harbor views make the area good for sunset walks.

Cup Noodles Museum

The Cup Noodles Museum honors Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin Food Products. He introduced Chicken Ramen, the first commercially available instant noodles, on August 25, 1958, and launched Cup Noodles on September 18, 1971. The museum includes the Instant Noodles History Cube, a wall of packages showing how instant noodles became a global food, and a recreation of the work shed where Ando developed his idea.

The best-known activity is the design-your-own Cup Noodles workshop, where visitors decorate their own package and choose one of four soups and up to four toppings from twelve options. The Chicken Ramen Factory, where participants make noodles by hand, requires a reservation and has age limits. The museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:00, and closed on Tuesdays. Tickets for the workshop are numbered and can sell out, so check the official site.

Plan Your Visit

From Tokyo Station, trains take roughly half an hour to Yokohama. The Minatomirai Line links Yokohama Station with Minatomirai and Bashamichi stations, and the Cup Noodles Museum is about an 8-minute walk from either; from Sakuragicho Station it is about 12 minutes. Chinatown, Yamashita Park and the Red Brick Warehouse are all within walking distance of the harbor.

A relaxed day might begin at Sankeien (a short bus or taxi ride from the central harbor area), continue to Chinatown for lunch, move on to the harbor and finish with the night view at Minato Mirai. Spring brings cherry blossoms and autumn brings leaves to the garden, while summer evenings are good for the waterfront. Check the official sites for current hours, since seasonal events can change schedules.