Yokohama

Being so close to Tokyo, Yokohama – Japan's second most populous city – often gets overlooked by visitors. This is a shame because this historic port has many interesting sights and a very cosmopolitan flavor with its late-19th-century European-style buildings in the Yamate area, vibrant Chinatown (the largest in Japan) and futuristic skyscrapers in the Minato Mirai 21 area, including the country’s tallest building, the 971-foot-tall Landmark Tower, which has an observation deck. Also around Minato Mirai you can board the handsome sail training ship Nippon Maru, part of the Yokohama Maritime Museum and while away several hours in the ...

Being so close to Tokyo, Yokohama – Japan's second most populous city – often gets overlooked by visitors. This is a shame because this historic port has many interesting sights and a very cosmopolitan flavor with its late-19th-century European-style buildings in the Yamate area, vibrant Chinatown (the largest in Japan) and futuristic skyscrapers in the Minato Mirai 21 area, including the country’s tallest building, the 971-foot-tall Landmark Tower, which has an observation deck. Also around Minato Mirai you can board the handsome sail training ship Nippon Maru, part of the Yokohama Maritime Museum and while away several hours in the excellent Yokohama Museum of Art. In the nearby Shinko area is the massive Ferris wheel Cosmo Clock 21, a hot springs complex Manyo Club and the attractive arcades of Akarenga, restored red brick warehouses dating to 1911 now packed with shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. More grand old Western-style buildings exist in the Kannai area where you can learn about the region’s history at the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum. Save time for Sankei-en, the picturesque home and garden of a wealthy 19th-century merchant, south of the city center, which is dotted with rare structures relocated from around the region.

About the Expert

Simon Richmond has written Rough Guides to Malaysia and Japan; Lonely Planet guides to India and Russia; and adventure travel guides for Frommer's on Australia, India, South America, and Southeast Asia.