Yokohama

INTRO
Being a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area, the second largest city in Japan, and only 32 km from the capital, Yokohama is a bustling metropolis that is well worth a visit. Glittery breath-taking high-rise structures, numerous shopping malls, full-of-life busy streets, stirring nightlife and modern lifestyle - that is what Yokohama is all about. The cosmopolitan port city has fascinating history and a lot of landmarks, and it is no wonder that Yokohama is one of Japan's most visited by foreign tourists cities.

City Profile
City: Yokohama
Country: Japan
Area: 437,35 km2
Population: 3, 609, 078
Districts: 18 (wards)
Mayor: Hiroshi Nakadai
Language: Japanese

LOCATION
Situated on the western side of Tokyo Bay, Yokohama withstands just 30 km south from the capital of Japan, the two cities being connected by lots of railway lines and motorways via the city of Kawasaki. Much of Yokohama's suburban areas are comprised of hills. If you travel by train from Yokohama to Tokyo, it is very likely that you will be surprised by the packed together residences. Natural locations such as fields or woods can be hardly ever seen in the area of the amalgamated cities.

TIME TO VISIT
Like in any other Japanese city, cherry blossoms boom in spring, so plan your trip for April or May if you want to see Yokohama in its prettiest. However, it is not advisable to visit the city between 29 April and 5 May - then is the Golden Week national holiday, and the city is just crowded. Summers in Yokohama are hot and muggy, and in the winter it often gets really cold, so prepare some warm clothes if you happen to be in Yokohama in December, January and February.

POPULATION
The population of more than 3,600,000 people make Yokohama Japan's largest city after Tokyo. The density is enormous - more than 8200 people per km2. Yokohama is inhabited mostly by Japanese. There are around 52,000 officially registered foreigners of more than 140 nationalities. Koreans and Chinese are the largest ethnic groups in the city - more than 15,000 of each. There is quite large minority from the Philippines - around 4,300 people, Brazilians are about 4,000. Americans in Yokohama are more than 2,400, and the registered UK citizens are around 1,000.

DISTRICTS
Administratively, the city of Yokohama is divided into 18 divisions called wards. The tourist areas are:

Minato Mirai - located near the waterfront, it is the futuristic heart of Yokohama. The area features a number of shops, restaurants, a maritime museum and museum of modern art
Chinatown (Chukagai) - located south of the old centre of Yokohama. Although now it is a mostly modern district, it has retained some picturesque Chinese-style temples and a myriad of restaurants - all kinds of them - from street stalls to 5-star exquisite fine-dining places.
Yamate District - here you could find the greatest foreign legacy. The district is overlooking the port, and has good views to Minato Mirai. Beside the glittery shopping district of Motomachi, set on a terraced hill is the old Foreigners' Cemetery. The cobbled streets leading away on the hilltop are full of Western-style old houses - which are more interesting for the domestic visitors than to those from abroad.
Motomachi is a district located east of Chinatown. It consists mainly of the Motomachi Shopping Street - famous for the variety of shops and boutiques. This area has cosmopolitan atmosphere, mixed at a lot of places with strong western influence.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

Yamashita Park - it is located on the waterfront, near to the ferry terminal. if you decide to pay a visit to the park, "The Girl With Red Shoes" is a statue that is not to be missed.
Marine Tower - located in Nanka ward, this is the largest on-land lighthouse in the world.
Sky Walk - an observation platform adjacent to Bay Bridge. One of the nicest views is to Minato Mirai.
Hikawa Maru - a passenger liner that made almost 240 voyages across the Pacific - to Seattle and Vancouver - between 1930 and 1960. During World War II it served as a hospital ship.
Bay Stars Stadium - the right place to go if you want to watch a baseball game in Japan. Located in Nanka Ward, the facility was built on the remains of the Cricket Ballpark. The stadium is with natural grass, which is very rare in Japan.
Landmark Tower - the tallest building in Japan, it has an observation platform on the 69th floor (admission 1,000 yens), and a fine dining restaurant on the 68th. The elevators of the high-rise structure are said to be the fastest in Japan.
Sankei-en Park - a park in typical Japanese style, opened in 1906. On its grounds of almost 17 sq km there are many traditional Japanese buildings, 13 of which are national heritages. The park is located southeast of Nanka ward.

AIRPORT
Yokohama city does not have a major airport on its territory. The Tokyo-Kawasaki-Yokohama amalgamation is served mainly by Narita Airport - located in Narita City in Chiba Prefecture, some 70 km northeast of Tokyo. Being Japan's major airport, the facility is modern and very efficient, but very often overcrowded. There are 2 terminals, connected by train and bus. Narita Airport is easily reachable from Tokyo Metropolitan Area - respectively, from Yokohama. By train, the fare is 1500 yens, and there are shuttle buses, most of them stopping at major hotels - cost is1500 yens. http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Train - Minato Mirai 21 subway line that goes from the harbour to Chinatown is very useful for tourists. JR Negeshi Line serves Chinatown and Minato Mirai area. For the suburban areas there is subway and extensive commuter rail line that crisscross Yokohama from every direction and connect it to Tokyo and Kawasaki city.
Taxi - cabs in Yokohama are comfortable and most of them are air-conditioned. Charge is a combination of flat rate and fee per kilometre and for certain time being. There are taxi stands near all major malls, business centres and hotels in the city.
Boat - between Yamashita Park and Minato Mirai there is a "water bus operating", and in a nice day that is a really enjoyable way of getting around. Fare - 400 yens per person.

HISTORY
Up until the end of the feudal Edo Period Yokohama was a small village, and in 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry arrived slightly south of Yokohama with a fleet of American warships, requiring that Japan opens several ports for commerce, thus ending the policy of national seclusion. The ruling Tokugawa shogunate agreed, and the port of Yokohama was opened in 1859. The early 20th century was marked by a rapid growth of industry. Factories were built along reclaimed land to the north of the city towards Kawasaki, and that eventually grew into Keihin Industrial Area. The Great Kanto Earthquake from 1923 destroyed big part of Yokohama, killing more than 23 000 people in the boundaries of the city. Yokohama was quickly rebuilt, and again destroyed - by the US air raids during World War II. The tallest building in Japan - Yokohama Landmark Tower - was opened in 1993.

CITY LINKS

Yokohama Official Website in English - http://www.city.yokohama.jp/en/
The Yokohama Times - http://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/eng/tourism/times/index.html
Yokohama Travel Guide - http://wikitravel.org/en/Yokohama
Yokohama Rubber Factory - http://www.yrc.co.jp/english/
Yokohama Guide - in pictures - http://www.photopassjapan.com/yokohama/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Yokohama City University - http://www.yokohama-cu.ac.jp/index-e.html
Yokohama National University - http://www.ynu.ac.jp/index_en.html