I'm based in Yokohama, and it's where I'd start anyone's first look at Japan's harbour towns. We walk the waterfront from the Red Brick Warehouse to Chinatown, at your pace, in a private group of up to six.
Chinatown and KanteibyoYamashita ParkThe Hikawa Maru, a 1930 linerOsanbashi pier roofRed Brick WarehouseYOKOHAMA AIR CABIN
Tour lengths
Choose how long you'd like
One quote per private group of up to six, in USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP or EUR.
Half day
The AIR CABIN from Sakuragicho, then the waterfront to Chinatown.
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Full day
Sankeien's garden of old buildings, the Bluff and the harbour at dusk.
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Two days
Minato Mirai and the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM on one day, Sankeien or Kamakura on the other.
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From your guide
What I point out on the way
I spent nine years in Brisbane, from junior high to the end of university, and I guide in English or Japanese. I check our food stops with each shop before the day.
Sho's note
Osanbashi pier
The roof is open 24 hours. In 2018 Nikkei Plus 1 ranked its night view of Minato Mirai the best free night view in Japan.
Sho's note
Red Brick Warehouse
Warehouses from the late Meiji and early Taisho eras, reopened in 2002. It's about 15 minutes' walk from Sakuragicho Station.
Sho's note
The Hikawa Maru
A 1930 liner that hit mines three times as a hospital ship in the war and didn't sink. Charlie Chaplin used its first-class suite, and it's 300 yen to go aboard.
The harbour sets the shape of the city. Yamashita Park was built on rubble from the Great Kanto Earthquake and opened in 1930. The Hikawa Maru, a liner from the same year, is moored right beside it. Along the water, the roof of Osanbashi pier is a park that never closes, curved like a whale's back.
Near the park, Chinatown has more than 600 shops, which grew from the Chinese merchants who came after the port opened. Up on the Bluff, Berrick Hall, a British trader's house designed in 1930, is free to walk through.
Photos
Yokohama through my lens
Minato Mirai at sunset.The roof of Osanbashi pier at night. It stays open 24 hours.A brick dated 1917, part of the Red Brick Warehouse.Cosmo Clock 21. You can buy it as a combined ticket with the YOKOHAMA AIR CABIN.Nihon-odori. From Nihon-odori Station, Osanbashi pier is seven minutes' walk.A liner and the Bay Bridge.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Can we go up Landmark Tower?
Not at the moment. The Sky Garden deck is closed for major repairs and isn't due to reopen until 2028 or later.
What's good to eat in Yokohama?
Kiyoken's shumai has been sold since 1928, made with pork and dried scallop. In Chinatown we can try steamed buns. I skip almond jelly and mooncakes, since they often contain apricot kernel or almond, and I check the ingredients at each shop for yours.
What if it rains?
We move indoors: the Hikawa Maru, the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM YOKOHAMA, the Red Brick Warehouse and the Yamate Western houses.
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Come and see my city
Tell me your dates, how many of you there are and anything you can't eat. I'll send back a route and a free quote.
