Yokohama

Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city and only 32 kilometers from the capital Tokyo. It is cosmopolitan port with interesting history, that easily merits a visit. In Yokohama Commodore Matthew Perry landed with his 'black ships' in 1853 to try and force Japan's opening to foreign trade. Being small village at that time, Yokohama grew into one of Asia's major ports, with an atmosphere reminding of a frontier town in the American "Wild West". Even today Yokohama remains a very international city. Yokohama feels far more spacious and open than neighboring overpopulated Tokyo, as it has open harbor frontage and basically low-rise skyline. The locals acknowledge their city's international heritage, and there's definitely a very cosmopolitan flavor in Yokohama, with western buildings, Chinese temples and cuisine, and sizable foreign community. Though the city does not have outstanding sights, Japan's second city (3.6 million people) has enough of interest to justify a visit from Tokyo, or on its own. When visiting Yokohama one should keep in mind that this is a very well organized big city with perfect transportation system and easy access to all points of interest. It is a good idea to learn and understand the transport connections of Yokohama i order to take the best of this helpful system. Yokohama's greatest foreign legacy is in the Yamate district overlooking the port and providing views towards Minato Mirai. Set on a terraced hill beside the shopping district of Motomachi is the Foreigners' Cemetery, which is filled with Christian crosses and mausoleums. It might seem stranger to come all this way to look at nineteenth-century European-style buildings, but the suburb of Yamate is known and with another of the city's highlights, area of handsome residences, church spires and bijou teashops. Yamate's "exotic" attractions still draw Japanese tourists in large quantity. The vibrant alleys and specialty restaurants of nearby Chukagai (Chinatown) are also a big draw for Japanese tourists in the south of the old center. Although mainly a modern district now, it has retained picturesque, Chinese-style temple and offers a band of popular - and pricey - restaurants. There's a clutch of different museums along the seafront, and north to where Kannai boasts a few old Western edifices, in contrast to Minato Mirai hi-tech skyscrapers in the distance. A tour of these central sights will easily fill a day, but with a little extra time and planning Sankei-en, which is just south of Yokohama, makes a good half-day excursion. This superb Japanese garden provides a good backdrop with its collection of picturesque temples and other ancient traditional buildings, moved there from elsewhere in Japan. The rest of the sights in Yokohama are close to the waterfront, with Minato Mirai being the futuristic heart of the area. This ever-changing area provides with many shops, restaurants, a maritime museum (partially housed in a historic ship) and a museum of the modern arts. Within walking distance are the Akarenga - a pair of early 20th-century, red-brick warehouses recently converted into modern boutiques and dining places. And don't forget - there are tons more of attractions, activities and interesting places to see in Yokohama, visit them and write here at HolidayStreets.com about their beauty and mystery!