Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chūkagai is the largest Chinatown in Japan and one of the largest in the world — a dense 0.2 square kilometre grid of Chinese restaurants, import shops, fortune tellers, and tea houses that has operated continuously since the 1860s. The main gate on Chūkagai Ōdōri is a full-scale Chinese ceremonial gate; there are four more gates marking the cardinal directions. About 600 businesses operate in the precinct.
The food ranges from excellent to tourist-trap by block. The best strategy: avoid the street-food counters on the main drag (overpriced and mediocre) and sit down at one of the established dim sum restaurants for a proper meal. Heichinrou and Manchinrou, both operating since the late 19th century, serve the most historically significant food in the precinct. Weekend dim sum queues start at 11:00 — arrive at 10:30 or book ahead.
Minato Mirai
Minato Mirai 21 is Yokohama's waterfront redevelopment — a cluster of contemporary towers, the Landmark Tower (Japan's second tallest), the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (converted 1913 customs warehouses now housing shops and an event space), and the Cosmo Clock 21 ferris wheel beside the bay. The waterfront promenade connects these elements across several kilometres of harbourfront and is excellent for walking.
The Yokohama Museum of Art occupies a Tange Kenzō building at the centre of Minato Mirai and has an excellent permanent collection of modern and contemporary art alongside ambitious temporary exhibitions. The Landmark Tower Sky Garden observation deck (69th floor, ¥1,000) gives the highest view over Tokyo Bay available outside the capital.
The Bluff and Yamate
The hillside district of Yamate (the Bluff) was Yokohama's foreign settlement in the Meiji period — Western merchants and diplomats built Victorian and Edwardian houses here that survive as a historical district. The Yamate Western Houses — seven preserved residences from the late 19th and early 20th centuries — are open free to visitors. The view from the Bluff over the harbour and Chinatown is one of the finest in the Kanto region.
Sankeien Garden
Sankeien (¥700) is a private garden created by silk merchant Hara Sankei in 1906, containing 17 historic structures relocated from Kyoto and Kamakura — pagodas, teahouses, farmhouses — within a landscape garden of ponds, plum trees, and bamboo groves. It is significantly less visited than comparable gardens in Kyoto and rewards a long, unhurried visit. The inner garden, with the oldest structures, is the most beautiful section.
Our Recommended Places
Getting there: Shinjuku to Yokohama via Tōkyū Tōyoko Line direct (30 min, ¥280) or JR Tōkaidō Line from Tokyo Station (28 min, ¥480). JR Pass holders use Tōkaidō Line.
Day structure: Chinatown for lunch (arrive 10:30), Minato Mirai waterfront afternoon, Sankeien if you have 3+ hours, Yamate Bluff at sunset.
Chinatown weekends: Extremely crowded Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Weekday visits are dramatically more comfortable.
Combine with Kamakura: Yokohama and Kamakura are on the same train line (Tōkyū Tōyoko → Yokosuka Line). A two-stop day combining both is entirely feasible.