Yokohama is a vibrant city. It boasts a rich history, with a thriving port that was once the gateway for Japan to the rest of the world. A must-visit attraction is the Yokohama Landmark Tower, which offers panoramic views of the city. For a cultural experience, head to the Sankeien Garden, where you can wander through beautiful gardens and traditional Japanese buildings. And, of course, no trip to Yokohama would be complete without trying some delicious local cuisine, such as ramen or sushi. With its unique blend of history and modernity.
First a fishing village, Yokohama developed into a bustling port city following the establishment of foreign trade after the opening of Japan in 1854. It was the site where Commodore Matthew Perry landed and signed the Kanagawa Treaty ending over 200 years of isolationalism by the Tokugawa Shogunate. At the forefront of the Meiji restoration, the first train line in Japan connected Tokyo and Yokohama. However, Yokohama was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and again by the firebombings of World War II, and never really regained its prominence. It remains a maritime city to this day and retains an international flavor.
Everyone who lives here in Japan—Japanese and foreigners alike—admire the port city of Yokohama. This is mainly due to the marked contrasts of her very pretty face: Yokohama offers a wonderful mix of new and old, hills and bay, elegance and casualness! The brilliant Minato Mirai area, wonderful Yamashita Park, exotic Chinatown, the sophisticated Motomachi shopping street, the historical Yamate district, and the relaxed and friendly Noge; these areas and much, much more are all part of the wonder of Yokohama. Yokohama is located 30km south of the center of Tokyo (30 minutes by train), and as of 2011, her population stood at around 3.7 million.
Over the years, Yokohama experienced two serious disasters that completely destroyed the city—the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and the allied bombings of World War II in 1945. Many foreigners died or left Yokohama at those times and many were buried in the Foreigner’s Cemetery here in Yokohama.
