A Day Out in Yokohama

A Day Out in Yokohama

If you arrive in the port of Yokohama via cruise ship or if you are in Tokyo for the second time or for a longer periode of time, taking a day trip to the popular seaside town of Kamakura is a very popular thing to do. But adding a day in Yokohama is also a great way to shake things up and do something outside of Tokyo.

Being one of Japan’s largest harbors with a history that goes centuries back, Yokohama offers that typical cosmopolitan port city vibe combined with some nice and quiet areas that are great for strolling around without bumping into large tourist crowds.

We spent a great day in Tokyo’s southern neighbor city to give you some ideas on how to make the most of your time in Yokohama!

Yamate and The Bluff

Start your day off quietly with a walk through the Sankeien Garden, a beautiful Japanese-style garden which has something to offer in every season. It is easiest to take a taxi or a bus from Yamate Station as the walk there is quite long. Then you can take the bus back or walk back to Yamate Station and walk up its main street which is lined with many little shops and restaurants and gives off a distinct Showa era vibe. It is a nice spot for taking some city-scape pictures of the more calm side of the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

A little further up north you will see higher ground, if you take the stairs up you will enter the Bluff which is now mainly taken up by a tennis club but used to be the place where rich foreigners resided during the Meij Period, just after Japan opened itself up to the world. There is a small tennis museum that you can enter for free.

Entering Old Western Homes

Some of the old homes of prominent Westerners are now open to the public. A very nice example of these homes is Berrick Hall, a charming Spanish-style mansion that used to belong to a family with a large trading company. The British House is also interesting to see, although the vibe there is more that of an old office than a cozy home.

Next to the British House is a beautiful rose garden that is an excellent spot to take a break, as Cafe Rose offers delicious sweets based on the flavor of roses in a cute atmosphere.

Chinatown

Then it is time for a very different side of Yokohama, Chinatown is just a 15-minute walk from the rose garden and can’t be missed during a visit of this city. As you can expect from a Chinatown, there are hundreds of eateries with original Chinese food for great prices, many little souvenir shops, massage parlors, and some very colorful Chinese Buddhist temples.

We went for a great value all-you-can-eat lunch, but you can also do your own street food tour and grab a small bite here and there as there are so many tasty little snacks to be had on every corner.

Immersive VR Experience

At the end of the day we wanted to try something different, so we went to the Immersive Journey XR which is hidden on the 3rd floor of the Asobuild very near Yokohama Station. We could choose between 2 experiences; a walk around a pyramid in Egypt and a walk in a French impressionist art museum. We went all-in and went for the Egypt story which we did not regret.

It was the first time we ever tried such a long VR experience and it was amazing how real it looked. You could see all around you, and it felt like you were really moving as the image moved. It truly felt like we took a journey to another world for a minute of 30 and recommend anyone who doesn’t suffer from motion sickness or vertigo to try this surreal experience

Tour in Yokohama

While we don’t have standard tours in our offerings list, we can still create a custom-made tour for you if you want to explore this vibrant city with a guide. Just send us an email at [email protected] and we will see what we can do for you!