The opening of the port changed a small fishing village
Japan was closed off from the world for 220 years during the Edo period, but in 1853, ships led by Commodore Perry appeared, urging the country to open up. The next year, the Edo Shogunate signed the Japan-US Treaty of Amity, promising to open up Japan. Once a small fishing village, Yokohama transformed into a quaint city with a new western culture after the opening of the port in 1859.
From the reconstruction after the quake and war to now
After the opening of the port, Yokohama developed as a window for trade and civilization to flourish with the completion of Osanbashi and Shinko Pier. The city was later hit hard by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and the air raids on Yokohama in 1945, but due to the unrelenting efforts of its citizens, it was rebuilt each time and became the second most populous city in Japan.
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- Sail Training Ship Nippon Maru & Yokohama Port Museum★
- 100m2-minute walk
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- Kishamichi Promenade★
- 500m8-minute walk
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- Hammerhead Crane★
- 350m5-minute walk
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- Aka-Renga Soko(Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse)★
- 200m3-minute walk
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- Zou-no-hana Park★
- 50m1-minute walk
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- Yokohama Three Towers/Nihon-Odori
- 500m8-minute walk
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- Osanbashi Pier
- 500m8-minute walk
Sail Training Ship Nippon Maru & Yokohama Port Museum
The Sail Training Ship Nippon Maru was nicknamed the "Swan of the Pacific" for its beautiful shape.
The Sail Training Ship Nippon Maru was built in 1930 to train sailors. By the time it was retired, the ship had sailed a total of 1.83 million km, circled the globe 45 times and trained 11,500 sailors. The engine has been in operation for 54 years and 2 months, the longest in the world for a marine engine, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The dock where the sail training ship Nippon Maru is preserved is a Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property, and you can see it without water in the Dockyard Garden at the foot of the Landmark Tower.
※The Yokohama Port Museum will be closed for renovation from June 2021 to spring 2022.
Address | 2-1-1, Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, 220-0012 |
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Opening Hours | 10:00am - 5:00pm (Last admission 4:30pm) Closed on Mondays (open if holiday), year end |
Closest Railway Station | 5min. walk from "Sakuragicho Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line, Yokohama Municipal Subway) 5min. walk from "Minatomirai Station" (Minatomirai Line) |
Kishamichi Promenade
This promenade, which crosses the sea using a section of the Rinkai Railway, was opened in 1911, and the rail and bridge are preserved to give you a feel of those days. It offers a view of Minato Mirai and is a popular cherry blossom spot.
Address | 2, Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0001 |
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Closest Railway Station | 3min. walk from "Sakuragicho Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line / Yokohama Municipal Subway) 5min. walk from "Bashamichi Station" (Minato-Mirai Line) |
Hammerhead Crane
Certified as a Heritage of Industrial Modernization
The electric hoist at Shinko Pier was introduced from the UK in the 1910s. It has survived the Great Kanto Earthquake and is one of the tree cranes remaining in Japan since that time.
In 2019, Yokohama Hammerhead, a multipurpose complex consisting of commercial facilities, a passenger ship terminal and a hotel, was opened.
Address | 2-14-1 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0001 |
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Closest Railway Station | 10 min. walk from Bashamichi Station 12 min. walk from Minatomiria Station 15 min. walk from JR Sakuragicho Station |
Aka-Renga Soko(Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse)
Aka-Renga Soko was built in the early 1900s as a storage warehouse. Now it is used as a gallery space, restaurants and stores, and is visited by many people as a popular tourist spot. At night, it is lit up, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
(The building will undergo renovations from June to November 2022.)
Address | 1-1-2 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0001 |
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Opening Hours | 【1st Building】10:00am - 7:00pm 【2nd Building】11:00am - 8:00pm (The Opening hours of cafe and restaurants will vary) |
Closest Railway Station | 6 min. walk from "Nihon Odori Station" "Bashamichi Station" (Minatomirai Line) 15 min. walk from "Kannai Station" "Sakuragicho Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line / Yokohama Municipal Subway) |
Zou-no-hana Park
Designated as a place to open under the Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1858, it became the first wharf in Yokohama. The shape of the breakwater resembles an elephant's nose. The "Zou-no-hana Breakwater" has been restored. The "Zou-no-hana Terrace", is a rest house that combines an art space with the "Zou-no-hana Cafe".
Address | 1, Kaigan-dori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0002 |
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Closest Railway Station | 3min. walk from "Nihon-Odori Station" (Minato-Mirai Line) 20min. walk from "Kannai Statin" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line / Yokohama Municipal subway) |
Yokohama Three Towers/Nihon-Odori
In the early 1900s, the first thing sailors returning from overseas saw at the port were “Yokohama three towers”, the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, the Yokohama Customs House and the Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall with its clock tower. They were nicknamed the King, Queen and Jack Tower, respectively.
In addition, Nihon Odori, where Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building(King Tower) are located, is the first Western-style street in Japan, built after the Great Yokohama Fire of 1866 to serve as a firebreak between the Japanese and foreign settlement. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful rows of ginkgo trees and historical buildings built in the early 20th century.
Port Opening Memorial Hall(Jack Tower)
(The building will be closed from December 2021 to March 2024 [tentative] for conservation and renovation work.)
Address | 1-6, Honcho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0005 |
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Opening Hours | 10:00am - 4:00pm Closed on every 4th Mondays (the following day if holiday), Dec.29 - Jan.3 |
Closest Railway Station | 1min. walk from "Nihon-Odori Station" (Minatomirai Line) 10min. walk from "Kannai Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line, Yokohama Municipal Subway) |
Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building(King Tower)
Address | 1, Nihon-odori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0021 |
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Opening Hours | 8:30am - 5:15pm [Observation deck (roof top) and Exhibit room (6th floor)] Only on weekdays |
Closest Railway Station | Right from "Nihon-Odori Station" (Minatomirai Line) 10min. walk from "Kannai Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line, Yokohama Municipal Subway) |
Yokohama Customs House(Queen Tower)
Address | 1-1, Kaigan-dori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-8401 |
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Ticket Info | Entrance Free |
Opening Hours | Exhibition Hall "Queen's place" [October to April] 10:00am - 4:00pm [May to September] 10:00am - 5:00pm Closed on weekends and holidays |
Closest Railway Station | 3min. walk from "Nihon-Odori Station" (Minatomirai Line) 15min. walk from "Kannai Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line,Yokohama Municipal Subway) |
Osanbashi Pier
Cruise ships from all over the world call into this international terminal. Visitors can enjoy the view of Minato Mirai 21 and the Yokohama Three Towers from the rooftop plaza. It is nicknamed "Whale's Back" because it looks like the back of a whale floating on the water.
Address | 1-1-4, Kaigandori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0002 |
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Opening Hours | [2nd floor] 9:00am - 9:30pm [Rooftop, Parking] open 24 hours Open everyday |
Closest Railway Station | 7min. walk from "Nihon-odori Station" (Minatomirai Line) 15min. walk from "Kannai Station" (JR Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line / Yokohama Municipal Subway) |
Yamashita Park
Yamashita Park is Japan's first seaside park, created in 1930 by landfilling rubble from the Great Kanto Earthquake. The statues remind us of international exchange, such as the Indian Water Tower and the Guardian God of Water presented by the city of San Diego. The view of the harbor is perfect for a date.
Address | 279, Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0023 |
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Closest Railway Station | 3min. walk from "Motomachi-Chukagai Station" (Minato-Mirai Line) 20min. walk from "Ishikawacho" (JR Negishi Line) 20min. walk from "Kannai Station" (JR Negishi Line / Yokohama Municipal Subway) |
NYK Hikawa Maru
Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property in 2016
Completed in the same year as the opening of Yamashita Park where the ship is permanently moored. She was a cargo-passenger liner that entered service on the Seattle across the Pacific Ocean and called the "Queen of the North Pacific" for her lavish decor, cuisine and top-notch services. During the Pacific War, the ship was used as a special naval hospital ship by the Japanese Imperial Navy.
Address | (in Yamashita Park) 279, Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0023 |
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Opening Hours | 10:00am - 5:00pm Closed on Mondays (open if holiday) |
Closest Railway Station | 3min. walk from "Motomachi-Chukagai Station" (Minatomirai Line) |
★Facilities with an audio guide with QR codes.
What is the port history guide?
If you scan the QR code at the site, you can enjoy an explanation of port's history with audio guidance in Japanese and English. If you see a plate with a QR code while walking around town, try scanning it with your smartphone!