Yokohama

Experiences

A handpicked selection of experiences endorsed by our experts. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, let us know, as our extensive network of local contacts can open many doors.

Hikawa Maru

Tour the Hikawa Maru, a meticulously preserved, 11,000-ton luxury liner with Art Deco interiors that cruised between Yokohama and Seattle from 1930 until World War II, when it was requisitioned by the Imperial Navy and converted into a hospital ship. Photo displays note famous passengers like Charlie Chaplin, for whom the ship sent one of its chefs to Tokyo to apprentice at making his favorite tempura.

Cup Noodle Museum

This museum is dedicated to the creator of Instant Ramen Noodles, Momofuku Ando. After an entire year of research, on 25 August 1958, he created the world’s first instant noodles, and the museum introduces visitors to the importance of invention and discovery through informative exhibits and workshops. Impressive long walls covered by colorfully packaged noodle cups are a true feast for the eyes. Visitors can assemble their own personal cup noodles from pre-made ingredients, choosing their own soup base and toppings, and also designing the cup.

Customs Museum

Honoring Yokohama’s past and present as a main port for Japan’s international commerce, the small but captivating Customs Museum displays reproductions of drugs, guns and other contraband that failed entry into Japan, with detailed cross-sections of their containers and photographs of the original seizing.

Gundam Factory

Located at Yamashita Pier is an entertainment complex dedicated to the popular animated franchise, Gundam, which features gigantic pilot-operated “mechs.” Standing outside the Factory is its main attraction, an almost 60-foot tall moving mech named the RX-78F00 Gundam that has been constructed to a 1:1 scale with its anime counterpart. Within the Factory is an exhibit about the construction of the mech, and a virtual reality dome that simulates the interior of the Gundam’s cockpit. There is also a cafe with Gundam-themed products and a merchandise store.

Hotel New Grand

Have lunch at the elegant and beautifully preserved Hotel New Grand, where General MacArthur lived and worked upon arriving in Japan at the start of the America’s postwar occupation. Built in 1927 and located across from Yamashita Park and the Hikawa Maru ocean liner, its second-floor banquet room, among other areas, is an officially recognized historical property of the city of Yokohama.

Minato Mirai

Visit the aka renga soko, or red brick warehouses. Originally twin brick piles built in 1911 and 1913, part of the southern warehouse was leveled in the 7.9-magnitude Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Today, after an era of dormancy and disrepair, they are a symbol of the urban revitalization of Yokohama’s Minato Mirai (“port of the future”) area. There are three floors of cafes, restaurants and trendy shops, including the sleek Motion Blue jazz club (a subsidiary of Blue Note Japan), while exhibition spaces host events like the annual springtime sake festival.

Sankeien Garden

This classical Japanese garden covers an area of 175,000 square meters and is home to many historical and culturally significant buildings. Originally the garden belonged to a wealthy silk merchant and was opened to the public in 1906. Enjoy a stroll through the vast park and discover its bridges, streams, small waterfalls, ponds, and bamboo groves. Known for its seasonal beauty, spring brings cherry blossoms, while thousands of pink lotus blossoms cover the pond in late summer, and autumn brings fiery colors to foliage.

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

Opened in 1994, this unique museum chronicles the history of one of Japan’s most famous dishes, from its historical roots in China to the invention of instant ramen in 1958. The first floor’s gallery details ramen’s history and current status, and one basement floor features a life-size replica of old-fashioned shitamachi Tokyo as it would have been in 1958. The second basement floor is home to a food court featuring nine different ramen shops with variations of the dish from all across Japan, allowing guests to sample the dish’s many forms without having to traverse the country.

Tea Ceremony in the Sky

The Yokohama Royal Park Hotel’s tea room, Kaikoan, combines the tradition of tea ceremony with panoramic views of the city. The tea room is perched on the 65th floor, allowing for guests to take in stunning, vast views with a cup of matcha tea and traditional sweets.

Yokohama Chinatown Street Food Tour

Yokohama’s Chinatown is the largest in the country and known for its outstanding variety of food. The city was the first to sign a treaty to open ports to US ships, welcoming many foreign traders. Due to this history, Yokohama’s Chinatown is culturally-rich and offers everything from Hong Kong-style egg tarts to traditional Peking duck to Taiwanese noodle soups. This street food adventure will introduce you to many sweet and savory small bites that Chinatown has to offer.