Yokohama: Japan’s most international city, a brief guide to the original gateway to the world

Of all Japan’s cities, Yokohama stands out as the most globally connected and cosmopolitan.

While many cities have erased their pasts in the rush to modernize, Yokohama has worked hard to maintain its heritage as the port that first introduced Japan to the outside world in the 1850s.

Located just under 30 miles from Tokyo, Yokohama boasts towering skyscrapers, vibrant shopping and nightlife districts, yet these modern elements coexist seamlessly with ancient wooden temples, the homes of Japan’s earliest foreign settlers, and relics of its rich and sometimes turbulent history.

In 1853, when US Navy Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in the bay south of Yokohama to persuade the shogun to end Japan’s isolationist policies, this area was nothing more than a small fishing village with just 100 homes.

By the close of the decade, Yokohama had blossomed into Japan’s primary gateway and a bustling hub for traders, immigrants, and explorers alike.

Today, Yokohama is Japan’s second-largest city by population, yet its historic core remains surprisingly compact, with much of it still walkable – where the past is ever-present amid the modern landscape.

Chinatown and the Korean district

Considering Japan’s close ties with China and the prominence of the tea and silk trade in the 1800s, it’s no surprise that many Chinese settled in Yokohama, creating a vibrant enclave in the Kannai district, just a few blocks from the waterfront.

The edges of the settlement are marked by four ornate Chinese gates, adorned with carvings of deities, dragons, and tigers. The area is home to over 600 businesses, including restaurants offering authentic dishes, supermarkets stocked with international goods, and shops filled with affordable souvenirs.

Two vibrant temples stand in the heart of the district, where locals still visit to light incense and honor Chinese gods. These temples also become the center of festivities during the Lunar New Year, with dragon dancers and musicians parading through the streets.

A bit further inland lies the smaller Korean district, where signs are written in Hangul and the local eateries serve dishes like bibimbap and the cloudy rice wine, makgeolli.

Though smaller than Chinatown, the district is bordered to the west by the Ooka River, transforming into a spectacular sea of pink during cherry blossom season, when the petals from the countless trees lining the riverbanks float through the air.

The Bluff

The first Europeans and Americans who arrived in Yokohama were confined to a gated settlement in Kannai, the site now home to the city’s baseball stadium. Over time, however, they were allowed to build homes in the city’s most desirable locations.

Soon, affluent businessmen and traders began building their residences on a hill just south of the settlement, known as The Bluff, where they enjoyed sweeping views of the port and the refreshing sea breezes that offered relief during the hot, sticky summer months. While the landscape has dramatically changed over the past 150 years, some of these historic homes still stand.

One of the most impressive properties is a grand American Victorian-style house with wooden siding and expansive windows, originally built on the site of the former Italian consulate. The home was constructed for a Japanese diplomat who once served as Tokyo’s consul general in New York. The design cleverly preserves the original Italian gardens and water features.

Built in 1930 for British trader B.R. Berrick, Berrick Hall is the largest remaining building in the area. Designed in Spanish style and recognized as a Historic Building of Yokohama, it features a ballroom on the ground floor and a traditional kitchen that has been carefully preserved.

Further down the road is the Bluff No. 234 building, constructed in 1927, alongside the Anglican Christ Church, which was founded in 1863, just a few years after Yokohama became a treaty port. The Yokohama Sacred Heart Cathedral, the oldest church in Japan, opened its doors in 1862 and boasts stained glass windows that reflect the city’s port history.

The Foreigners’ Cemetery

The early 20th century saw rapid economic growth across Yokohama, but this progress came to a sudden halt on September 1, 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.9, struck eastern Japan.

The earthquake caused widespread devastation and significant loss of life, with many victims laid to rest in the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, which gently slopes down from the top of The Bluff.

One headstone honors 10 priests who perished during the disaster, while another nearby marker commemorates half a dozen Catholic sisters. Among the graves is that of Leonardus Van Der Polder, born in Rotterdam in 1851, who rests here with his wife, Annie, both victims of the tragic event.

Older tombstones also bear the marks of the quake, many with visible cracks that have been carefully repaired after the violent tremors caused them to collapse.

Walking through the cemetery, with its more than 4,200 gravestones, is like stepping back in time. Among those buried here is renowned war correspondent Dixie Tighe of the New York Post, who died in Tokyo in 1946, as well as British engineer Edmund Morel, who built the first railway line from Yokohama to Shimi but died just one year after arriving in Japan in 1870.

Under the shade of a tree stands a bust and gravestone dedicated to Hermann Grauert, the man who built the Catholic cathedral and survived an assassination attempt by a samurai angry over the growing foreign influence in Japan.

The Studio Ghibli connection

Hayao Miyazaki, widely regarded as a master of Japanese animation, set his 2011 film *From Up on Poppy Hill* in 1960s Yokohama.

The plot centers around the port of Yokohama, with the high school protagonist, Umi Matsuzaki, raising signal flags on The Bluff that read “I pray for safe voyages.”

You can still see the pole and the flags today, fluttering in Harbor View Park.

The Emperor’s racecourse

A few miles to the southwest lies Negishi Forest Park, dominated by the towering grandstand of the former Nippon Race Club.

The grandstand is the last surviving structure of Japan’s first Western-style horse racing track, which thrived in the 1930s.

Panels behind the grandstand display its golden era, with images of lounges overlooking the track, the judges' stand, and betting booths. Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989) was a fan of horse racing and visited the track several times.

After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the entire racecourse was seized by the occupation forces and repurposed as a military base. The park was returned to Yokohama in the 1970s and is now famous for its cherry blossoms in spring. The Equine Museum also chronicles the history of horse racing in Japan.

Yamashita Park

In the wake of the 1923 earthquake, the rubble of Yokohama’s buildings and infrastructure was pushed into the sea, eventually forming what is now Yamashita Park. The well-maintained rose garden and expansive lawns make it an ideal spot for summer picnics, while street performers add to the lively atmosphere.

Anchored off the stone walls of the park is the Hikawa Maru, a luxury passenger ship launched in 1929, originally designed to sail routes to the west coast of the US. It carried notable passengers, including Charlie Chaplin and Prince and Princess Chichibu.

Known as the “Queen of the Pacific,” the ship served as a hospital vessel during World War II and later spent six years repatriating Japanese soldiers after Japan’s surrender.

Now a floating museum, the Hikawa Maru offers visitors a chance to explore its restored art deco interiors and cabins. In the summer, guests can enjoy a cold beer in the charming beer garden on the stern deck.

The Red Brick Warehouse district

At the northern end of the park, along an elevated path that once served as a railway for the port, stands a complex of red brick warehouses that would have been bustling with activity a century ago.

Too small to accommodate the cargoes of modern vessels, these historic warehouses have now been repurposed as boutiques, bars, and restaurants. The large open area in front hosts a variety of events, from beer festivals to vintage car shows.

From here at the front, passenger ferries zip across the harbor, offering visitors a unique perspective of the city from the water.

Modernity in Minato Mirai

In stark contrast to Yokohama’s historic buildings, the steel-and-glass skyscrapers of Minato Mirai stand tall. Developed on reclaimed land over the past 30 years, this area connects the original port district to Yokohama Station.

Nestled among high-end shops, malls, restaurants, bars, hotels, and convention centers is one of Japan’s tallest Ferris wheels, along with the Cosmo World theme park and a newly added cable car.