What to See & Do in Yokohama
When most travelers map out their Japan itinerary, Tokyo dominates the conversation.
Yet just 30 minutes south by train sits Yokohama, Japan's second-largest city that somehow still flies under the radar for many visitors.
We’ve spent a considerable amount of time in and around this city, and can attest that it offers a refreshing counterpoint to Tokyo's megacity vibe. By visiting Yokohama as a day trip from Tokyo, or better yet staying here a night or more, you’ll get to experience a major Japanese city that’s got its own distinct character — and far fewer tourists.
Where in Japan is Yokohama?
Despite being the second largest city by population in Japan, most people outside of this country would have difficulty naming something that Yokohama is known for or finding it on a map.
Yokohama is in Kanagawa prefecture, and is geographically between Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. It also fronts onto Tokyo Bay, and is part of the Kanto Region — a metropolitan area home to some 35 million people (give or take).
Being a port city, Yokohama has an international history that dates back well over a century. Legacies of this history include western-influenced architecture, foreign cemeteries and a wide range of cuisines.
Many people have chosen to live in Yokohama and work in Tokyo, getting (just) a bit more space and a slightly more relaxed pace of life.
As a travel destination, Yokohama gives you a nice contrast to the big-big-MEGA-big city that is Tokyo, while still being connected to its neighbor (by train lines and expressways) as well as to Haneda Airport and the shinkansen bullet train.
But what is there to see and do in Yokohama?
Let’s start your journey on the waterfront.
Minato Mirai: Waterfront Development That’s a Good Base
Yokohama's skyline centers around Minato Mirai ("Future Port"), a redeveloped waterfront district that reflects Japan's 1980s economic bubble ambitions.
Unlike many urban renewal projects around the world that can feel a bit soulless and carbon-copy-like, this area has actually matured into something worth visiting.
The 296-meter Landmark Tower no longer claims the "tallest in Japan" title it once held, but its Sky Garden observation deck still delivers panoramic views for ¥1,000 – cheaper and typically less crowded than Tokyo's equivalent lookouts. The building's elevator, once the fastest in the world, still rockets visitors upward at impressive speeds. And yes, on a clear day that sure is Mount Fuji you’re looking at!
Nearby stands the distinctive Cosmo Clock 21, less a functional timepiece and more a flashy Ferris wheel that nevertheless provides decent city views, if you're into that sort of thing. At night, the wheel's illumination reflects across the bay waters, creating an admittedly photogenic scene that finds its way onto countless Instagram feeds.
The Red Brick Warehous (Akarengai) is a successful preservation effort, transforming former customs buildings into a shopping and dining complex that, while certainly commercialized, retains enough architectural character to be interesting. During seasonal events like Christmas markets or summer beer gardens, the space buzzes with a mix of locals and visitors.
A fun little side-twist is Yokohama Air Cabin, a city ropeway that opened in 2021. While hardly an essential experience, the 5-minute ride offers an elevated perspective of the harbor area if you're looking to rest your feet between longer walks.
Yamashita Park: A Harborside Respite
Stretching along the waterfront, Yamashita Park provides a welcome green space within the urban landscape. Created using debris from the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the park now serves as a popular gathering spot for locals, especially on weekends when families, couples, and elderly residents claim the benches overlooking the bay.
The permanently docked Hikawa Maru, a 1930s ocean liner that once carried passengers across the Pacific (including Charlie Chaplin), sits along the park's edge. While the ship museum is moderately interesting if you're into maritime history, the exterior view is free and equally satisfying for most visitors.
A short walk brings you to Osanbashi Pier, a passenger ship terminal whose undulating wooden deck design by Foreign Office Architects won international acclaim when completed in 2002. On clear winter days, the pier offers one of the area's better vantage points for spotting Mount Fuji in the distance, though you'll need favorable weather conditions and timing to catch this often-elusive view.
The nearby Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery presents a quiet, contemplative space that chronicles the city's history as Japan's gateway to the West. Dating back to 1854 when Japan began reopening to foreign trade, the cemetery's weathered headstones are those of missionaries, traders, and diplomats who shaped Japan's modernization (access requires a small donation and is limited to afternoon hours).
Yokohama Stadium: Catch a Ball Game
Just a few blocks inland and near both Yamashita Park and Chinatown sits Yokohama Stadium, home of the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League.
The team (formerly called the Yokohama Taiyo Whales back in the day when it was owned by a Japanese fishery company) won the national championship in 2024, and has a passionate fan base (despite being in Tokyo’s shadow).
Even if you’re not a baseball fan, sitting in the outfield cheering section for the home team (or visiting team even) is a uniquely Japanese experience, with fans rooting for their team by heartily belting out songs for each player and for the team itself. Plus, there’s beer involved.
Chinatown: Not Japanese But Worth a Look
Japan's largest Chinatown occupies a compact area that packs in over 500 shops and restaurants within its colorful gates. Yes, it's touristy these daya, with inflated prices and its share of kitsch, but the neighborhood's 150+ year history equates to some cultural significance.
If you have a Chinatown where you’re from, you may not need to see this one. Unless you’re looking for one of two food experiences: ramen; and other Japanese-style “Chuka” (or ‘Chinese’) food.
Don’t bother comparing Chinese food in Japan to Chinese food in the US, Europe, Australia or for sure HK & China. This… isn’t that. But Japan has its own version of Chinese food, adjusted mainly for Japanese taste buds. And the Chinese population in Japan (about one percent of the overall population here) goes back generations.
Their greatest culinary gift to Japan may very well be: Ramen!
Ramen’s Origins in Japan Trace from Yokohama
That’s right. Ramen is of Japan, but it’s not really Japanese food. Most of us Japanese people will gladly tell you this.
The origins are a bit disputed as to where exactly “ramen” truly originated. But a commonly agreed fact is that there are noodle soups from China that were seemingly adapted in Japan. And a lot of that adaptation took place in Yokohama.
Yokohama today still has its own genre of ramen, called Yokohama Iekei Ramen, which features a hearty pork broth and thick, straight noodles. You can get Iekei and other varieties of ramen around the Chinatown vicinity and elsewhere in Yokohama.
We’d recommend ramen shops like Chuka Soba Shigure, Tsuchinotomi, Kachidokiya… and (while it’s not Yokohama original) Ramen Hiro – among many, many others (locals love to argue over who does ramen the best!).
Ramen Museum: History & Culture in a Bowl
Located in Shin-Yokohama (a few stops from central Yokohama on the JR line), the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum essentially functions as a themed food court showcasing regional ramen styles from across Japan.
The basement recreates a 1958 Tokyo streetscape, complete with vintage advertisements and retro vending machines, where visitors queue at individual stalls representing famous ramen shops.
The museum element might feel secondary to the eating experience, with modest displays covering ramen history and ingredients. The real appeal – flavor, of course! Here you get to savor multiple mini-bowls (around ¥800 each) of distinctive regional styles without traveling across Japan.
Expect crowds at peak meal times; visiting between standard lunch and dinner hours improves the experience considerably.
Cup Noodles Museum: Better Than You Might Expect
A museum dedicated to instant ramen sounds like peak tourist bait, yet the Cup Noodles Museum pulls off something surprisingly engaging.
Yes, the "make your own cup noodles" activity (¥500) is the main draw, where visitors design custom cup artwork and select from 12 ingredients for a personalized creation. But the museum also thoughtfully explores how Momofuku Ando's invention democratized food access globally.
The Instant Noodles History Cube presents a surprisingly thorough timeline of pre-packaged noodle evolution, while the replica of Ando's shed workshop where he developed the first instant ramen adds a touch of creation mythology to the experience. Is it worth a special trip? Your call.
But if you're in Yokohama anyway, it makes for an entertaining couple of hours, especially for families with children or food history enthusiasts. The surrounding Shinko area continues developing, with Yokohama Hammerhead offering yet another waterfront shopping/dining complex… useful for a meal break but not a destination in itself.
Sankeien Garden: Worth a Detour While in Yokohama
Located about 30 minutes from central Yokohama by bus, Sankeien Garden requires more effort to reach than the harbor attractions, but gives you a meticulously maintained traditional landscape garden.
Created by silk merchant Sankei Hara in 1906, the garden incorporates historic buildings relocated from Kyoto, Kamakura and other regions of Japan, effectively creating an architectural museum within a natural setting.
The garden follows the classic strolling design principles, revealing new scenes as you wind along its paths. Seasonal highlights include plum blossoms (February-March), cherry blossoms (late March-early April), irises (June), and autumn foliage (November-December). The ¥700 admission fee is a good value compared to similar gardens in Tokyo.
Day Trips Near Yokohama: Kamakura & Enoshima
With efficient transport connections, Yokohama positions visitors well for exploring two nearby destinations that merit their own dedicated time.
Kamakura: Big Buddha & Much More!
Kamakura, the former political center of medieval Japan, packs dozens of significant temples and shrines into a compact area backed by forested hills.
The bronze Great Buddha (Daibutsu) at Kotoku-in Temple stands as the obvious highlight, having survived since 1252 despite tsunami and earthquakes. At 11.4 meters tall, it's impressive both for its scale and the fact that visitors can enter the hollow interior (for an additional ¥20).
Nearby Hase-dera offers a completely different temple experience with its hillside grounds featuring a massive wooden Kannon statue, cave shrines and gardens offering sweeping views over Sagami Bay.
Komachi-dori street provides the obligatory souvenir shopping and street food experience, though prices reflect Kamakura's popularity.
Engaku-ji near Kita-Kamakura Station exemplifies classical Zen temple design amid a forested setting that's particularly stunning during autumn.
Enoshima: (Kanto) Tokyo’s Beach Retreats
Connected to Kamakura by the charming Enoden railway, Enoshima island offers a different coastal experience centered around a hill topped with shrines dedicated to Benzaiten, goddess of everything that flows (music, words, water). The island's circumference walk reveals sea caves, cliffside shrines, and tidal pools, while restaurants specialize in shirasu (tiny whitebait fish served raw, boiled, or fried over rice).
The Enoshima Sea Candle lighthouse/observation tower provides excellent coastal views on clear days, while the Samuel Cocking Garden surrounding it contains an unexpected tropical greenhouse. Like many Japanese beach destinations, Enoshima gets intensely crowded during summer weekends, making weekday visits strongly preferable.
Also, the aforementioned Enoden railway? It was featured in an anime and thus gets super crowded at times with visitors, especially from Korea and China, who come to get their photo ops (and sometimes cause congestion issues and the occasional road danger). Be prepared for this, yet another reality of the travel boom in Japan. But you need not be deterred, just know it exists.
Ari’s Take on Yokohama (“Do It!”)
Did you know that Ari (co-founder here at Japan Travel Pros) used to live in Yokohama back in the day? In fact, his first experiences in Japan took place in Yokohama.
“I was really lucky to have lived here,” says Ari, “staying with a Japanese family and going to a local high school. It’s a great city and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”
What are the must dos in Yokohama?
“The waterfront, for sure. It’s a fairly compact area with a lot going on – lots more now than back in the day even. Enjoy some local ramen for sure.
“See a ballgame if you can! If not the pros, maybe a high school game as that’s so much fun.
“And I always like Kamakura. It’s crowded for a reason. If it sucked, people wouldn’t go there, right?!”
That’s right, Ari. I’ll second that. Go visit Kamakura, the earlier in the day the better. Then either take in some Enoshima island time to chill, or head back into Yokohama and enjoy Japanese city life.
Yokohama is Great for a Day or a Stay
Yokohama’s harborfront scenery and attractions complement rather than replicate Tokyo's offerings.
This is a great stop on your Japan travel itinerary!
Japan’s second largest city balances its commercial port history with modern development while providing convenient access to cultural day trips. For travelers looking to expand beyond Tokyo's boundaries without venturing too far, Yokohama delivers a worthwhile experience that can easily fill 1-3 days of exploration.
If you’re flying both into and out of Tokyo, Yokohama is a nice way to spend the first couple of days of your Japan trip. It’s close to Tokyo Haneda Airport, and gives you a modern Japanese city without so much of the tourism that's omnipresent in Tokyo these days. Then move onward to Hakone, Kyoto and elsewhere in Japan, before coming back to Tokyo for some days prior to flying home.
Want to find out more about incorporating Yokohama into a memorable itinerary that covers Japan’s highlights plus destinations more off the beaten path? Schedule your free consultation with Japan Travel Pros, using the calendar tool below.