Yokohama Japan is a gorgeous port city that is extremely close to Tokyo, yet it seems to get overlooked by many tourists. So you can enjoy the best aspects of this cool city, we have listed up some of the top things to do in Yokohama to make your trip a real success!
How to get to Yokohama City
A mere 30 minutes from Tokyo, it is extremely convenient to get to and makes a fantastic day trip. It is a destination that is included in the JR Rail Pass, the JR Tokyo Wide Pass, and even the N’EX Round Trip Ticket!
Why is Yokohama Japan so unique?
Although we can demonstrate how easy it is to get to Yokohama, you might be wondering, “but what is Yokohama City?” Originally it was a small fishing village, but when Japan reopened to the world after a period of national isolation, it became one of the first ports which allowed foreign trade.
From these humble beginnings, it quickly grew with foreigners settling in the Kannai area. For this reason, Yokohama became the first place in Japan for Western fashion to become popular, for an English language newspaper to be published, and more. In recent decades the population has grown to nearly 4 million, and even today, it remains a bustling port – the second busiest in Japan and in the top fifty largest seaports in the world.
1. Visit Sankeien Garden, a traditional Japanese garden!
Sankeien Garden – A real traditional Japanese garden
Opened to the public for the first time in 1906, Sankeien Garden was designed as a traditional Japanese garden. The expansive grounds include 17 old buildings that were moved and reconstructed from places such as Kyoto and Kamakura.
As just a traditional Japanese garden, it is beautiful in itself, but the fact that as you wander through it that you can come across impressive historical structures is awe-inspiring. Discover the Shunsoro, or tea room, which is believed to have been built for Oda Nobunaga’s brother Oda Urakusai, or the Gekkaden, or guest house, which was built in 1603 for none other than Tokugawa Ieyasu.
2. Take in the views at Yamate and Yokohama Foreign Cemetery
Old western homes can be seen in Harbor View Park, Yamate
When Yokohama opened as an international trade port foreigners started settling in the area of Yamate, not many of their houses survived until today.
But in Harbor View Park you can see some of the oldest ones. This park also has a lovely view of the harbor, which means you can experience the history of the houses, which are open to the public, and take some great pictures of Yokohama City.
Not far from here you can also visit Yokohama Foreign Cemetery where a number of famous westerners were buried; including one of the first westerners to be buried here in 1854 after…
