Day Trips from Tokyo: Yokohama (Just My Travel Notes)

If you have been in Tokyo for a couple of days why not stretch your legs a little bit and explore some of the other cities nearby. Especially if you have your Japan Rail Pass why not use it and head to Yokohama for the day.

Yokohama is about a 25 minute train ride from Tokyo so very easy for you to plan to spend a day exploring the area.

Most of the key sightseeing spots in Yokohama are centered around the waterfront area. Which themselves are relatively easy to access either by train or foot. There are a number of tourist buses you can use to get around.

Yokohama is actually Japan’s second largest city, it has a population over three million. It was originally one of the first trading ports that were opened to foreign trade in 1859.

It is also home to one of the largest “Chinatowns” in Japan and has a number of interesting attractions. Wandering the narrow streets is a destination of itself, the colours the smells of the food cooking. We seem to have chosen to visit on the same day as the entire of Japan as the streets were jam packed. So busy you could barely move – that said it was immense fun.

There are Four main colourful gates that stand at the main entrances to Chinatown, and a number of others within. The main temple in the middle of Chinatown is the Kanteibyo Shrine. It is very brightly coloured and certainly stands out – you shouldn’t miss it.

Be sure to try some food as you are wandering around the streets of Chinatown, the smell of Dim Sum wafts around and you can’t help but be hungry.

Once you have had your fill of colour, food and culture in Chinatown there is so much more around Yokohama to explore. We headed down to the waterfront and checked out the interesting Osanbashi Pier.

The Osanbashi Pier is actually the International Passenger Terminal where international cruise ships dock. But it has a number of open spaces and walkways open to the public. Including a couple of little cafe/bars where you can buy a drink and sit on the pier.

The pier actually also provides a really great vantage to check out the Minato Mirai Skyline in Yokohama.

The Minato Mirai is basically the seaside area of Yokohama. It has many large hi-rise towers and also includes an amusement park, museums, hotels, and parks. You can walk along the waterfront to explore the area.

Also in Yokohama is an interesting museum – the Cup Noodle Museum. The museum is dedicated to the Japanese institution that is the Noodle Cup. You can explore interactive displays as well as design your own cup of noodles. As well as a food court that serves (guess?) Noodle dishes!

There is so much to explore in Yokohama, you will easily pack a day around the various sites. There is so much more to explore – including just a short trip outside of Yokohama the Kirin Beer Factory which includes free tastings of Kirin Beer.

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Thanks for following along today – have you even been to Yokohama? Let me know in the comments below. As always I do appreciate those of you who have chosen to Follow my blog as well as like my posts. It is great to see that you are enjoying my content. Thanks again and see you soon!

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