About YOKOHAMA

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Yokohama, is the first harbor city introduced to the world as the entrance to Japan. Since the time its port was opened, Yokohama has been vigorously acquiring new cultures and information from foreign countries and introducing to Japan our country’s first-time-ever things from food to a wide range of cultures, which entitles Yokohama as the birthplace of Japan’s modern culture. The Yokohama, referred to as “Hamakko” in Japanese, has been very cheerful at enjoying life and willing to adopt whatever is good. Such a tradition of the “Hamakkos” cultivated long ago has been incorporated into the present fashionable and sophisticated streetscape.

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Yokohama is located in the centre of Japan, along the coastline of Japan’s Pacific Ocean, and one of the 15 Japanese Government-designated cities. The average temperature in Yokohama is 16 degrees centigrade with a pleasant weather in spring and autumn, high temperature and high humidity in summer, and a mild climate and less snow in winter. The total population of Yokohama is 3,650,000 persons as of March 1,2009, making the city the second largest after Tokyo’s 23 Wards. A number of foreign enterprises have established their branches in Yokohama by taking full advantage of the Yokohama Port which is an international trading port. Yokohama is a city of dreams for every Japanese person as well as its local citizens who are very proud of living here because it is not only very famous as a tourist mecca, but also has every urban function including, but not limited to, business and culture.

Yokohama Station

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Many hotels and department stores are located in this area, especially the west exit vicinity a mega terminal where many subway and train lines are connected. Visitors can easily access to a wide variety of food stores and boutiques of popular fashion brands.

Minato Mirai 21

Here you can find Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, one of Yokohama’s popular tourist spots, a complex building where you can enjoy shopping and dining of every kind and, amusement facilities which offer entertainment day and night, just to mention a few. Easy walking access from spot to spot makes the area a popular venue.

Yamashita park, Kannai

It is one of the most popular and best loved areas in Yokohama where you can experience the distinctive atmosphere and history of this harbor town. A number of antique historic pieces of architecture in western style which are symbols of the Yokohama culture, restaurants with a long tradition, and classy hotels distinguish the area.

Yokohama Chinatown

Among countless Chinatowns all over the world, Yokohama Chinatown is one of the largest and the best with as many as approximately 500 Chinese restaurants, Chinese grocery stores and plenty of other shops standing side by side on the streets. The year around bustling streets proves the fun-filled excitement of the town.

Motomachi, Yamate

Being a trendsetting city of its local fashion brands, Motomachi represents Yokohama as a fashion-oriented region. The classical western residential area in Yamate where foreigners first settled when the port opened, is a must-see.

Honmoku, Negishi

Although the town redevelopment altered the landscape, here you can still feel the American atmosphere of a region once occupied by a U.S. military base. A visit to Sankeien, a Japanese garden with historic architecture where you can enjoy the seasonal changes in the scenery, is also recommended.

With only a population of 600, the small village Yokohama started to become widely known to its own country and the world, when its port first opened in 1859. Since then, Yokohama has been taking hold its business function as a modern trading city, pursuing export of Japanese silk and tea. The Great Kanto Earthquake on September 1st, 1923 totally devastated Yokohama. Its original state, however, was mostly restored by around 1929 with the genuine efforts taken by the citizens. After 1931, Yokohama turned its direction towards becoming a heavy chemical industrial city grown from a successful commercial trading city as a result of the reclamation of the coast line which was eventually developed into the Keihin Industrial Area. The bombing hit Yokohama on May 29,1945, just before the end of World War II, burning 42% of the city. Due to the requisition of 90% of port facilities and 27% of the city by the Allied Forces after the war, Yokohama’s reconstruction and adjustment fell behind significantly compared to other cities. As Japan entered the age of high economic growth, however, Yokohama started to advance a city development and enjoy a rapid population growth. In 1989, Yokohama celebrated its 100th anniversary of the Commencement of the City Administration and the Yokohama Expo (YES ’89) took place. As we mark significant milestones in 2009 commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the Port of Yokohama as well as the 120th Anniversary of the Commencement of the City Administration, Yokohama will advance in creating a city filled with dreams and hopes while transmitting a positive message to the world.

Yokohama is a city of art and culture where new urban values and fascination continue to be generated through the creativity given by such art and culture. What is so special about Yokohama is its success in collaborating with stylishness in various periods in history which is well exampled not only in the international museums or unique objects placed in the parks naturally incorporated with the harbor cityscape, but also its efforts to respect and reserve Japanese traditional popular arts. We continue to endeavor to provide various opportunities to artists and creators for their presentations by establishing and reinforcing cultural facilities such as museums, classical music hall or Noh (Japanese traditional masked dance-drama) theaters, and utilizing local resources of warehouses and historical buildings, which will, we firmly believe, also bring economic revitalization to our city.

Situated in the middle of the Japanese Islands on the Pacific Coast, Yokohama has high precipitation in June, September, and October. Average temperature is 16℃ with a comparatively mild climate.

Data on Yokohama’s weather

Yokohama’s average temperature/precipitation