is the second-largest city in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the

Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...

of the main island of Honshu. Yokohama is also the major economic, cultural, and commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area along the

Keihin Industrial Zone The consists of the Japanese cities Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. The term is mostly used to describe these cities as one industrial region. ''Keihin'' is derived from the second character of Tōkyō, , which can be read ''kyō'' or ''kei'', ...

. Yokohama was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the 1859 end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city, after

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

opened in 1853. Yokohama is the home of many Japan's firsts in the Meiji period, including the first foreign trading port and Chinatown (1859), European-style sport venues (1860s), English-language newspaper (1861), confectionery and beer manufacturing (1865), daily newspaper (1870), gas-powered street lamps (1870s), railway station (1872), and power plant (1882). Yokohama developed rapidly as Japan's prominent port city following the end of Japan's relative isolation in the mid-19th century and is today one of its major ports along with Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Tokyo and

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

. Yokohama is classified as a Large-Port Metropolis . Yokohama is the largest port city and high tech industrial hub in the Greater Tokyo Area and the Kantō region. The city proper is headquarters to companies such as Isuzu,

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

JVCKenwood , stylized as JVCKENWOOD, is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It was formed from the merger of Victor Company of Japan, Ltd (JVC) and Kenwood Corporation on October 1, 2008. Upon creation, Haruo Ka ...

Keikyu (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. mea ...

, Koei Tecmo, Sotetsu, Salesforce Japan and

Bank of Yokohama is the largest regional bank in Japan, operating mainly in Kanagawa Prefecture and southwestern Tokyo. It currently operates 610 offices in Japan and five offices overseas (Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, New York and London). History The bank wa ...

. Famous landmarks in Yokohama include Minato Mirai 21, Nippon Maru Memorial Park, Yokohama Chinatown, Motomachi Shopping Street, Yokohama Marine Tower, Yamashita Park, and Ōsanbashi Pier.

Etymology

Yokohama (横浜) means "horizontal beach". The current area surrounded by Maita Park, the

Ōoka River is a river that flows through Yokohama, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while ...

and the Nakamura River have been a gulf divided by a sandbar from the open sea. This sandbar was the original Yokohama fishing village. Since the sandbar protruded perpendicularly from the land, or horizontally when viewed from the sea, it was called a "horizontal beach".

History

Opening of the Treaty Port (1859–1868)

Before the Western foreigners arrived, Yokohama was a small fishing village up to the end of the feudal Edo period, when Japan held a policy of national seclusion, having little contact with foreigners. A major turning point in Japanese history happened in 1853–54, when Commodore Matthew Perry arrived just south of Yokohama with a fleet of American warships, demanding that Japan open several ports for commerce, and the Tokugawa shogunate agreed by signing the

Treaty of Peace and Amity The Convention of Kanagawa, also known as the Kanagawa Treaty (, ''Kanagawa Jōyaku'') or the Japan–US Treaty of Peace and Amity (, ''Nichibei Washin Jōyaku''), was a treaty signed between the United States and the Tokugawa Shogunate on March ...

. It was initially agreed that one of the ports to be opened to foreign ships would be the bustling town of Kanagawa-juku (in what is now

Kanagawa Ward is one of the 18 Wards of Japan, wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 230,401 and a population density, density of 9,650 persons per km2. The total area was 23.88 km ...

) on the Tōkaidō, a strategic highway that linked

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

to Kyoto and Osaka. However, the Tokugawa shogunate decided that Kanagawa-juku was too close to the Tōkaidō for comfort, and port facilities were instead built across the inlet in the sleepy fishing village of Yokohama. The Port of Yokohama was officially opened on June 2, 1859. Yokohama quickly became the base of foreign trade in Japan. Foreigners initially occupied the low-lying district of the city called

Kannai is a district in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, bounded by the Ōoka River, JR Negishi Line, Nakamura River, and Yokohama waterfront. "Kannai" is not an official name of the area, but the common term of reference has been in use for over a century ...

, residential districts later expanding as the settlement grew to incorporate much of the elevated

Yamate is the name of a historic neighbourhood in Naka-ku, Yokohama often referred to in English as ''The Bluff.'' The neighbourhood is famous as having been a foreigners' residential area in the Bakumatsu, Meiji and Taishō periods. While still domi ...

district overlooking the city, commonly referred to by English speaking residents as ''The Bluff''.

, the foreign trade and commercial district (literally, ''inside the barrier''), was surrounded by a moat, foreign residents enjoying extraterritorial status both within and outside the compound. Interactions with the local population, particularly young samurai, outside the settlement inevitably caused problems; the Namamugi Incident, one of the events that preceded the downfall of the shogunate, took place in what is now Tsurumi Ward in 1862, and prompted the Bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863. To protect British commercial and diplomatic interests in Yokohama a military garrison was established in 1862. With the growth in trade increasing numbers of Chinese also came to settle in the city. Yokohama was the scene of many notable firsts for Japan including the growing acceptance of western fashion, photography by pioneers such as

Felice Beato Felice Beato (1832 – 29 January 1909), also known as Felix Beato, was an Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first war photographers. He is noted for his genre works, ...

, Japan's first English language newspaper, the ''Japan Herald'' published in 1861 and in 1865 the first ice cream confectionery and beer to be produced in Japan. Recreational sports introduced to Japan by foreign residents in Yokohama included European style

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

in 1862,

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

in 1863 and rugby union in 1866. A great fire destroyed much of the foreign settlement on November 26, 1866, and smallpox was a recurrent public health hazard, but the city continued to grow rapidly – attracting foreigners and Japanese alike. File:Commodore-Perry-Visit-Kanagawa-1854.jpg, Landing of Commodore Perry and men to meet the Imperial commissioners at Yokohama, 14 July 1853 File:YokohamaTradersSadahide1861.jpg, Foreign ships in Yokohama harbor in 1861 File:YokohamaForeignTradersSadahide1861.jpg, A foreign trading house in Yokohama in 1861

Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868–1923)

After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the port was developed for trading silk, the main trading partner being Great Britain. Western influence and technological transfer contributed to the establishment of Japan's first daily newspaper (1870), first gas-powered street lamps (1872) and Japan's first railway constructed in the same year to connect Yokohama to Shinagawa and Shinbashi in Tokyo. In 1872

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

portrayed Yokohama, which he had never visited, in an episode of his widely read novel ''

Around the World in Eighty Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'', capturing the atmosphere of the fast-developing, internationally oriented Japanese city. In 1887, a British merchant,

Samuel Cocking Samuel Cocking (19 March 1845 in Camberwell London – 26 February 1914 in Yokohama, Japan) was a merchant in Yokohama arriving in 1869, shortly after the “Opening of Japan”. Although he was born in London, he moved with his parents to Aus ...

, built the city's first power plant. At first for his own use, this coal power plant became the basis for the Yokohama Cooperative Electric Light Company. The city was officially incorporated on April 1, 1889. By the time the extraterritoriality of foreigner areas was abolished in 1899, Yokohama was the most international city in Japan, with foreigner areas stretching from Kannai to the Bluff area and the large Yokohama Chinatown. The early 20th century was marked by rapid growth of industry. Entrepreneurs built factories along reclaimed land to the north of the city toward Kawasaki, which eventually grew to be the Keihin Industrial Area. The growth of Japanese industry brought affluence, and many wealthy trading families constructed sprawling residences there, while the rapid influx of population from Japan and Korea also led to the formation of Kojiki-Yato, then the largest slum in Japan. File:Yokohama_Street_Scene_c1880.jpg, Street scene File:Kusakabe_Kimbei_-_Yokohama_Foreign_Settlement_Pano.jpg, Yokohama File:Akarenga_Yokohama_2012.jpg,

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse The is a historical building that is used as a complex that includes a shopping mall, banquet hall, and event venues. The complex, officially known as the , was originally used as customs buildings, and has two sections: Warehouse No.1 and No.2. ...

was built in 1913.

Great Kantō earthquake and the Second World War (1923–1945)

File:HIH the Prince Regent viewing devastated Yokohama-restored.jpg, Crown Prince

Hirohito Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

(later Emperor) visited Yokohama immediately after the

1923 Great Kantō earthquake The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...

. File:Yokohama post bombing 1945.jpg, View of Yokohama after the bombing in 1945 Much of Yokohama was destroyed on September 1, 1923, by the

Great Kantō earthquake Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

. The Yokohama police reported casualties at 30,771 dead and 47,908 injured, out of a pre-earthquake population of 434,170. Fuelled by rumors of rebellion and sabotage, vigilante mobs thereupon murdered many Koreans in the Kojiki-yato slum. Many people believed that Koreans used black magic to cause the earthquake. Martial law was in place until November 19. Rubble from the quake was used to reclaim land for parks, the most famous being the Yamashita Park on the waterfront which opened in 1930. Yokohama was rebuilt, only to be destroyed again by U.S. air raids during World War II. The first bombing was in the April 18, 1942 Doolittle Raid. An estimated 7,000–8,000 people were killed in a single morning on May 29, 1945, in what is now known as the Great Yokohama Air Raid, when B-29s firebombed the city and in just one hour and nine minutes, reducing 42% of it to rubble.

Postwar growth and development

During the American occupation, Yokohama was a major transshipment base for American supplies and personnel, especially during the Korean War. After the occupation, most local U.S. naval activity moved from Yokohama to an American base in nearby Yokosuka. Four years after the Treaty of San Francisco signed, the city was designated by government ordinance on September 1, 1956. The city's tram and trolleybus system was abolished in 1972, the same year as the opening of the first line of Yokohama Municipal Subway. Construction of Minato Mirai 21 ("Port Future 21"), a major urban development project on reclaimed land started in 1983, nicknamed the " Philadelphia and Boston of the Orient" was compared to Center City, Philadelphia and Downtown Boston located in the

East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

. Minato Mirai 21 hosted the Yokohama Exotic Showcase in 1989, which saw the first public operation of

maglev train Maglev (derived from ''magnetic levitation''), is a system of train transportation that uses two sets of electromagnets: one set to repel and push the train up off the track, and another set to move the elevated train ahead, taking advantage ...

s in Japan and the opening of Cosmo Clock 21, then the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. The Yokohama Bay Bridge opened in the same year. In 1993, Minato Mirai 21 saw the opening of the Yokohama Landmark Tower, the third-tallest building in Japan. The

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

final was held in June at the International Stadium Yokohama. In 2009, the city marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port and the 120th anniversary of the commencement of the City Administration. An early part in the commemoration project incorporated the Fourth

Tokyo International Conference on African Development is a conference held regularly with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences. Other co-organizers of TICAD are the United Nations Office of th ...

(TICAD IV), which was held in Yokohama in May 2008. In November 2010, Yokohama hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. File:Yokohama Koreanwar.jpg, In 1951, during the Korean War, a troopship, the USS ''General George M. Randall'' (AP-115), departs Yokohama, repatriating war dead to the U.S. File:Yokohama_Landmark_Tower_201507.JPG, Yokohama Landmark Tower, Japan's third-tallest building, was built in 1993. File:Minato Mirai In Blue.jpg, The Minato Mirai 21 project, also known as the " Philadelphia and Boston of the Orient," started in 1983.

Geography

Topography

Yokohama has a total area of at an elevation of above sea level. It is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, bordered to the east by Tokyo Bay and located in the middle of the Kantō plain. The city is surrounded by hills and the characteristic mountain system of the island of

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separa ...

, so its growth has been limited and it has had to gain ground from the sea. This also affects the population density, one of the highest in Japan with 8,500 inhabitants per km². The highest points within the urban boundary are Omaruyama () and Mount Enkaizan (). The main river is the

Tsurumi River The is a river in Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It begins at the confluence of the Onda and Yamoto rivers in Yokohama and flows 22 kilometers before emptying into Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō regio ...

, which begins in the Tama Hills and empties into the Pacific Ocean. These municipalities surround Yokohama: Kawasaki, Yokosuka,

Zushi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of June 2012, the city has an estimated population of 58,087, and a population density of 3,350 per km². The total area is . Geography Zushi is located at the head of Miura Peninsula, facin ...

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...

, Fujisawa,

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan. Japanese his ...

, Machida.

Geology

The city is very prone to natural phenomena such as

earthquakes An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

and tropical cyclones because the island of

has a high level of seismic activity, being in the middle of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Most seismic movements are of low intensity and are generally not perceived by people. However, Yokohama has experienced two major tremors that reflect the evolution of

Earthquake engineering Earthquake engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that designs and analyzes structures, such as buildings and bridges, with earthquakes in mind. Its overall goal is to make such structures more resistant to earthquakes. An earth ...

: the

devastated the city and caused more than 100,000 fatalities throughout the region, while the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...

, with its epicenter on the east coast, was felt in the locality but only material damage was lamented because most buildings were already prepared to withstand them.

Climate

Yokohama features a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen: ''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers and chilly winters. Weatherwise, Yokohama has a pattern of rain, clouds and sun, although in winter, it is surprisingly sunny, more so than Southern Spain. Winter temperatures rarely drop below freezing, while summer can seem quite warm, because of the effects of humidity. The coldest temperature was on 24 January 1927 when was reached, whilst the hottest day was 11 August 2013 at . The highest monthly rainfall was in October 2004 with , closely followed by July 1941 with , whilst December and January have recorded no measurable precipitation three times each.

Cityscape

File:The night view of Minato Mirai 21 - 4.jpg, Yokohama night view (2014) File:View from Mosaic Mall Kohoku, Yokohama 20150201-004.jpg, View from Mosaic Mall Kohoku (2015) File:Minato mirai view from Yokohama bay bridge (2039218244).jpg, View from the Yokohama Bay Bridge (2007) File:View from Hikawa maru, Yokohama (15988315167).jpg, View from Hikawa Maru (2014)

Demographics

Population

Yokohama's foreign population of 92,139 includes

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, Koreans, Filipinos, and Vietnamese.

Wards

Yokohama has 18

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

(''ku''):

Government and politics

The

Yokohama City Council The is the legislature of Yokohama City. Overview *Members: 86 *Term: 4 years *Voting System: :ja:中選挙区制, Medium‐size constituency system (Single non-transferable vote) *:ja:議長, President: Tomio Shimizu (LDP) *Vice-President: M ...

consists of 86 members elected from a total of 18 Wards. The LDP has minority control with 36 seats. The incumbent mayor is Takeharu Yamanaka, who defeated Fumiko Hayashi in the

2021 Yokohama mayoral election A mayoral election was held on 22 August 2021 to elect the next Mayor of Yokohama. The central issue in the election was the building of an "integrated resort" IR featuring a casino. Incumbent mayor Fumiko Hayashi (politician), Fumiko Hayashi los ...

List of mayors (from 1889)

Culture and sights

Yokohama's cultural and tourist sights include: * Yokohama Chinatown *

Yokohama Three Towers Yokohama three towers are a group of historical towers at the Port of Yokohama. They have been given the nicknames ''The King'', ''The Queen'' and ''The Jack''. The best view of the three towers is considered to be from Ōsanbashi Pier. Three To ...

* Yamashita Park (at the harbor) * Harbor View Park * The Hikawa Maru, historic passenger and cargo ship * Yokohama Marine Tower * Yokohama Triennale * Minato Mirai 21 *

Landmark Tower A landmark is a notable geographical feature or building. Landmark, The Landmark, Landmark Building, or similar may also refer to: Places * Landmark, Manitoba, Canada *Landmark, Arkansas, United States * Landmark, Missouri, United States Art, ...

, 296 m high, second tallest skyscraper in Japan * Nippon Maru, museum ship * Yokohama Stadium (the Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Pro baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

team's home field) * Yokohama Foreign Cemetery * Sankei-en Garden * Kishine-Park * Kanazawa Bunko, preserves the cultural heritage of the Hōjō clan * Zō-no-Hana Terrace (象の鼻テラス) *

Gumyōji is a neighborhood located in Minami-ku in the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. In reference to the Keikyu Line, it is between Kami-Ōoka and Idogaya Stations. Within Gumyōji is the temple, Gumyō-ji, from which it gets its nam ...

, oldest temple in the city

Museums

Yokohama Triennale 2005 Yamashita Pier Venue

There are 42 museums in the city area, including. *

CupNoodles Museum CupNoodles Museum may refer to one of two museums in Japan: * CupNoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda * CupNoodles Museum Yokohama is a museum dedicated to instant noodles and Cup Noodles, as well as its creator and founder, Momofuku Ando. Located at Yoko ...

(

Momofuku Andō , was an inventor and businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. He is known as the inventor of instant noodles (ramen noodles) and the creator of the brands Top Ramen and Cup Noodles. Early life and education Ando was born Go Pek ...

Instant Ramen Museum): Several-floors of interactive exhibits related to the invention of the Japanese instant noodle soup, including soup kitchens where you can try the culture-specific noodle soups. *

Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History also known as the Yokohama Museum of Cultural History is a history museum in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Its exhibition focuses on the culture and history of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is located in the building of the former Yokohama ...

: Located in the historic Yokohama Specie Bank building. * Kanazawa Bunko: Traditional Japanese and Chinese art objects, many dating from the Kamakura period. * Matsuri Museum: Dedicated to the shrine festivals (Japanese Matsuri) taking place in Yokohama. *Silk Museum: Exhibits focusing on the production and processing of silk; including many clothes. * Yokohama Archives of History: Located in the former British Consulate building with exhibits related to port development and the arrival of Matthew Perry. * Yokohama Museum of Art: Founded in 1989, featuring modern works by well-known international and Japanese artists.

Gallery

File:Sangkaien Garden.jpg, Sankei-en Garden File:伊勢佐木町2012年8月24日(金).jpg, Isezaki San Francisco Lane File:Saint Patricks Day in Motomachi Yokohama.jpg, Motomachi File:Chinatown in Yokohama 10.jpg, Yokohama Chinatown File:Yokohama3Towers From Akarenga.JPG,

File:Harbour View Park, Yamate, Yokohama.jpg, Harbor View Park towards the Yokohama Bay Bridge File:Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History 2009.jpg,

File:Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama 2017.jpg,

File:Left-side view of Hikawa-maru.jpg, Hikawa Maru File:横浜マリンタワー2.jpg, Yokohama Marine Tower File:Nippon maru.JPG, Nippon Maru Memorial Park File:Yokohama_Red_Brick_Warehouse_2012.JPG,

File:Yokohama World Porters.JPG, Yokohama World Porters File:YokohamaBaysideMarina01.jpg, Mitsui Outlet Park Yokohama Bayside File:横浜市立金沢動物園.jpg, Yokohama Municipal Kanazawa Zoo File:Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise.jpg,

Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is an amusement park consisting of an aquarium, shopping mall, hotel, marina and amusement rides. It is located in Hakkeijima, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. It opened for business on May 8, 1993. It is a pay-as-you-go theme park, ha ...

File:Cosmo Clock 21 at night.jpg, Yokohama Cosmo World File:Yokohama-west-station-building-202009.jpg, Yokohama Station File:Gaijin bochi.JPG, Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery File:Yokohama Museum of Art 2009.jpg, Yokohama Museum of Art File:Yokohama Archives of History02.jpg, Yokohama Archives of History File:Negishi Horse Racing Track.jpg, Negishi Park File:Iseyama koutai-jingu01.jpg, Iseyama Kotai Shrine File:Sōjiji Daisodo 2009.jpg, Sōji-ji

Excursion destinations

In 2016, 46,017,157 tourists visited the city, 13.1% of whom were overnight guests. * Kodomo no kuni: Means "Children's country". A nice destination to spend an eventful day with the family. Lots of space for walking and playing. There is also a petting zoo. * Nogeyama Zoo: One of the few zoos that do not charge admission. It has a large number of animals and a petting zoo where children can play with small animals. * Zoorasia: Nice zoo with lots of play options for children. However, in this zoo admission costs. * Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise: A large park with an aquarium. Otherwise rides, shops, restaurants, etc. * Since 2020, after six years of development, a giant robot named Gundam, which is 18 meters high and weighs 25 tons, has been watching over the port area as a tourist attraction. The giant robot, in which there is a cockpit and whose hands are each two meters long, is based as a figure on a science fiction television series, can move and sink to its knees. The giant robot was manufactured by the company "Gundam Factory Yokohama" under Managing Director Shin Sasaki. *

Kamonyama Park Kamonyama Park () is a park in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Located on a hill overlooking Minato Mirai 21, a statue of Naosuke Ii, who played key role in the opening of Yokohama Port in 1859, stands in t ...

In popular media

* Yukio Mishima's novel '' The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea'' is set mainly in Yokohama. Mishima describes the city's port and its houses, and the Western influences that shaped them. * '' From Up on Poppy Hill'' is a 2011 Studio Ghibli animated drama film directed by

Gorō Miyazaki is a Japanese director. He is the son of animator and film director Hayao Miyazaki, who is one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli. Described as "reluctant" to follow his father's career, Goro initially worked as a landscaper for many years befo ...

set in the

district of Yokohama. The film is based on the serialized Japanese comic book of the same name. * The main setting of

James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was an Australian-born British (later naturalized American) writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best ...

's book ''

Gai-Jin ''Gai-Jin'' (Japanese for "foreigner") is a 1993 novel by James Clavell, chronologically the third book in his Asian Saga, although it was the last to be published. Taking place about 20 years after the events of ''Tai-Pan'', it chronicles t ...

'' is in historical Yokohama. * Vermillion City in the Kanto region from the Pokémon franchise is based on Yokohama. * One of the '' Pretty Cure'' crossover movies takes place in Yokohama. In the fourth movie of the series, ''Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage: Friends of the Future'', the Pretty Cure appear standing on top of the Cosmo Clock 21 in

Minato Mirai , often known as simply Minato Mirai and abbreviated as MM, is the central business district of Yokohama, Japan. Initially developed in the 1980s, Minato Mirai 21 was designed as a large master-planned development and new urban center planned to c ...

. * The main setting of the Japanese visual novel series '' Muv-Luv'', first a school and then, in an alternate history, a military base is built in Yokohama with the objective of carrying out the Alternative IV Plan meant to save humanity. * In '' Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3'', Yokohama is under siege by the Soviet Union and Allied Nations to stop the Empire of The Rising Sun. The player must defend Yokohama and then lead a counterattack as the Empire. * The manga '' Bungo Stray Dogs'' is set in Yokohama. * The Japanese mixed-media project, '' Hamatora'' takes place in Yokohama. * The final battle in '' Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' takes place in Yokohama. * In '' My Hero Academia'', it is the location of the Nomu Warehouse where they created artificial Humans (a.k.a. Nomus). * Sumaru City in '' Persona 2: Innocent Sin'' and ''

Eternal Punishment In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells a ...

'' is based on Yokohama. * Miyabi City in '' The Caligula Effect'' is based on Yokohama, including depictions of landmarks such as an unfinished Landmark Tower and

(referred to in game as Sea Paraiso). * The video game '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon'' is set in Isezaki Ijincho, a fictional district in Yokohama based on

Isezakichō is a district of Naka-ku, Yokohama, Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, consisting mainly of the . The shopping street is 1.2 km long, running from in the northeast, to in the southwest. Isezaki Mall is a special designation given to the and ...

. * Yokohama is also represented in the multimedia project by King Records, '' Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle'' * Yokohama is the main setting of Japanese manga and anime series '' Komi Can't Communicate''. Multiple of the cities’ landmarks are featured on the manga, most notably in the more recently released chapters. * Yokohama is the setting of the anime ''

After the Rain After the Rain may refer to: Film and television * ''After the Rain'' (film), a 1999 film by Takashi Koizumi * ''After the Rain'' (TV series), a 2000 Iranian series * ''After the Rain'' (TV special), a 2009 Christmas special by Regine Velasquez * A ...

'' as well as manga series with the same title by

Jun Mayuzuki is a Japanese manga artist. Her most famous work is the series '' After the Rain'', which was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Monthly Big Comic Spirits'' magazine in June 2014, before moving to the magazine '' Weekly Big Comic Spirits'' in January ...

. *In April 2022, The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the launch of a new interactive website to aid in the tourism and MICE elements of the city.

Sports

File:Yokohama stadium 2020 wing.jpg, Yokohama Stadium exterior File:Yokohama Stadium, Baseball Stadium.jpg, Yokohama Stadium crowd File:Yokohama Arena 2013.jpg, Yokohama Arena exterior File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg,

Nissan Stadium Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Natio ...

exterior File:International Stadium Yokohama-1.jpg,

crowd *Baseball: Yokohama DeNA BayStars *Football: Yokohama F. Marinos (J.League Division 1), Yokohama FC (J.League Division 1),

YSCC Yokohama , commonly referred to as simply Y.S.C.C. or Y.S.C.C. Yokohama (Y.S.C.C.横浜 or simply YS横浜) is a Japanese multisports club based in Yokohama. Although they compete in a number of different sports, YSCC is best known for its association fo ...

(J.League Division 3), NHK Yokohama FC Seagulls (Nadeshiko League Div.2) *Velodrome:

Kagetsu-en Velodrome was a velodrome located in Yokohama that conducted pari-mutuel Keirin – literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or ...

*Basketball: Yokohama B-Corsairs *Rugby Union: Yokohama Eagles * Tennis: Ai Sugiyama * American football:

Yokohama Harbors The Yokohama Harbors are an American football team located in Yokohama, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the ...

*Ice Hockey: Yokohama Grits

Economy and infrastructure

The city has a strong economic base, especially in the shipping, biotechnology, and semiconductor industries.

moved its headquarters to Yokohama from Chūō, Tokyo in 2010. Yokohama's GDP per capita (Nominal) was $30,625 ($1=¥120.13). , the total production in Yokohama city reached ¥13.56 billion. It is located between

Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...

and

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

s compared to domestic prefectures. It is located between Hungary, which ranks 26th, and New Zealand, which ranks 27th compared to OECD countries. Generally, the primary industry is 0.1%, the secondary industry is 21.7%, and the tertiary industry is 82.3%. The ratio of the primary industry is low, and the ratio of the secondary industry and the tertiary industry is high. Compared to other ordinance-designated cities, it is about 60% of the size of Osaka, which is almost the same as Nagoya. As shown in the attached table, there are not a few head office companies, In connection with this, the absence of large block-type companies ( JR, NTT, electric power, gas, major commercial broadcasters, etc.) has had an impact. The breakdown is ¥11.9 million yen (0.1%) for the primary industry, ¥2.75 billion (21.7%) for the secondary industry, and ¥10.44 billion yen (82.3%) for the tertiary industry. Compared to other government-designated cities, the amount of the primary industry, the ratio of the construction industry of the secondary industry, and the ratio of the real estate industry of the tertiary industry are large, and the finance, insurance, wholesale, and retail of the tertiary industry The ratio of industry and service industry is small, but the tertiary industry is almost the same as Nagoya.

Major companies headquartered

File:Nissan headquarters 2022.jpg,

Global Headquarters in Nishi-ku File:JVCKENWOOD001.jpg,

headquarters in

Kanagawa-ku is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 230,401 and a density of 9,650 persons per km2. The total area was 23.88 km2. Geography Kanagawa is located in ...

File:Koei Tecmo headquarters -01.jpg, Koei Tecmo headquarters in Kōhoku-ku File:Keikyu Group Headquarters.jpg, Keikyu Group headquarters in Nishi-ku File:Sotetsu HQ Building.jpg, Sotetsu headquarters in Nishi-ku File:Yokohama Gate Tower - 04a.jpg, Isuzu headquarters in Nishi-ku

Transport

Yokohama is serviced by the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, a high-speed rail line with a stop at Shin-Yokohama Station. Yokohama Station is also a major station, with two million passengers daily. The Yokohama Municipal Subway,

Minatomirai Line The Minatomirai 21 Line (みなとみらい21線 ''Minato-mirai-21-sen''), commonly known as the Minatomirai Line (みなとみらい線 ''Minatomirai-sen''), is a subway line in Yokohama, Japan that runs from Yokohama Station to Motomachi-Chūk ...

and

Kanazawa Seaside Line The is an automated guideway transit line operated by which operates between Shin-Sugita in Isogo Ward to Kanazawa-Hakkei in Kanazawa Ward in Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipa ...

provide metro services.

Maritime transport

Yokohama is the world's 31st largest seaport in terms of total cargo volume, at 121,326 freight tons , and is ranked 37th in terms of TEUs (

Twenty-foot equivalent units The twenty-foot equivalent unit (abbreviated TEU or teu) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity, often used for container ships and container ports.Rowlett, 2004. It is based on the volume of a intermodal container, a standard-sized metal box whic ...

). In 2013, APM Terminals Yokohama facility was recognized as the most productive container terminal in the world averaging 163 crane moves per hour, per ship between the vessel's arrival and departure at the berth.

Rail transport

= Railway stations

= ; East Japan Railway Company (JR East) : Tōkaidō Main Line :* – – – : Yokosuka Line :* – Yokohama – – – Totsuka – : Keihin-Tōhoku Line :* – – – – Yokohama : Negishi Line :* Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – : Yokohama Line :* Higashi-Kanagawa – – – – – – – – – : Nambu Line :* – – : Tsurumi Line :* Main Line : Tsurumi – – – – – – :* Umi-Shibaura Branch : Asano – – ; Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) : Tōkaidō Shinkansen :* – Shin-Yokohama – ;

Keikyu Main Line (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. mea ...

:* – – – – – – – – – – Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – – – – :

Keikyu Zushi Line (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. mea ...

:* Kanazawa-Hakkei – – ; Tokyu Railways :

Tōyoko Line The is a major railway line connecting Tokyo (Shibuya) to Yokohama. The line is owned and operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation. The name of the line, ''Tōyoko'' (東横), is a combination of the first characters of ''Tōky ...

:* – – – – Kikuna – – – – – Yokohama : Meguro Line :* – Hiyoshi : Den-en-toshi Line :* – – – – – – – – Nagatsuta – :

Kodomonokuni Line The is a railway line in Kanagawa Prefecture owned by the Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company and operated by Tokyu Corporation. History The line opened in April 1967, at the same time as its 'parent' station, Nagatsuta. It is a single track ...

:* Nagatsuta – – ;

Sagami Railway The , or , is a private railway company operating three lines in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of holding company Sotetsu Holdings, Inc. Sotetsu Holdings is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange; 6.58% of it is owned ...

: Sagami Railway Main Line :* Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – – – : Izumino Line :* Futamatagawa – – – – – – ; Yokohama Minatomirai Railway :

:* Yokohama – – – – – ; Yokohama City Transportation Bureau (Yokohama Municipal Subway) : Blue Line :* – – – – – Totsuka – – – – – Kami-Ōoka – – – – – – Kannai – Sakuragichō – – Yokohama – – – – – Shin-Yokohama – – – – – – – :

Green Line Green Line may refer to: Places Military and political * Green Line (France), the German occupation line in France during World War II * Green Line (Israel), the 1949 armistice line established between Israel and its neighbours ** City Line ( ...

:* Nakayama – – – Center Minami – Center Kita – – – – – Hiyoshi ; Yokohama New Transit :

:* Shin-Sugita – – – – – – – – – – – – – Kanazawa-Hakkei

Education

Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the . There are nine public high schools which are operated by the Yokohama City Board of Education, and a number of public high schools which are operated by the

Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education The is the board of education for Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. The board consists of six members; one of them is elected as the chair, and one of them is appointed by the board as the superintendent. The board administers municipal education and ...

. Yokohama National University is a leading university in Yokohama which is also one of the highest ranking national universities in Japan. * 46,388 children attend the 260 kindergartens. * Almost 386,000 students are taught in 351 primary schools. * There are 16 universities including Yokohama National University. The number of students is around 83,000. * 19 public libraries had 9.5 million loans in 2016.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Yokohama is twinned with: *

Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...

, Constanța County, Romania (since October 1977) * Lyon,

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...

, France (since April 1959) * Manila, Philippines (since July 1965) * Mumbai,

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, India (since June 1965) *

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

, Odessa Oblast, Ukraine (since July 1965) * San Diego, CA, United States (former partnership, October 1957–October 2021) * San Francisco, CA, United States (since October 2021) * Shanghai, China (since November 1973) * Vancouver, BC, Canada (since July 1965)

Partner cities

* Abidjan, Ivory Coast * Beijing, China (since May 2006) * Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (since June 2008) * Busan, South Korea (since June 2006) * Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany (since September 2011) * Hanoi, Vietnam (since November 2007) *

Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

, Vietnam (since October 2007) *

Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

, South Korea (since December 2009) * Seberang Perai,

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

, Malaysia (since August 2016) * Taipei, Taiwan (since May 2006) * Tel Aviv, Israel (since July 2012) * Tianjin, China (since May 2008)

Sister ports

* Port of Barcelona, Spain (since November 1989) * Port of Dalian (friendship port treaty, since September 1990) *

Port of Hamburg The Port of Hamburg (german: Hamburger Hafen, ) is a seaport on the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, from its mouth on the North Sea. Known as Germany's "Gateway to the World" (''Tor zur Welt''), it is the country's largest seaport by volume ...

, Germany (since October 1992) * Port of Melbourne, Australia (since May 1986) * Port of Oakland, United States (since May 1980) * Port of Vancouver, Canada (since May 1981) *

Port of Shanghai The Port of Shanghai (), located in the vicinity of Shanghai, comprises a deep-sea port and a river port. The main port enterprise in Shanghai, the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), was established during the reconstitution of the S ...

(friendship port treaty, since October 1983)

Notable people

* Toru Furuya, singer and seiyū * Yuma Kagiyama, figure skater * Miki Koyama, racing driver * Takehito Koyasu, singer and seiyū *

Ryuji Kumita Ryuji Kumita (born 25 January 1967 in Yokohama), better known by his pseudonym "Dragon", is a racing driver and team owner from Japan. A late starter to motorsport at 46, he mostly competes in Japanese junior formulae, such as the All-Japan F ...

, racing driver and CEO of B-Max Racing *

Keisuke Kunimoto is a Japanese/Zainichi Korean race car driver who races with Japanese racing license. His mother is Japanese. His father, Yoshihiro Ri, also known as Yoshihiro Kunimoto, is the 1983 All Japan Karting Champion and his uncle, Yoshihiko Ri, won same ...

, racing driver * Yuji Kunimoto, racing driver * Minoru Suzuki, professional wrestler *

Yuta Watanabe is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball in the United States for the George Washington Colonials, becoming the first Japanese-born student at ...

, NBA player for the Toronto Raptors.

References

Citations

Sources

* Hammer, Joshua (2006)
''Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II''
. New York: Simon & Schuster. (cloth). * Heilbrun, Jacob
"Aftershocks"
. '' The New York Times'', September 17, 2006.

External links

Official Website

Yokohama Tourism Website
* {{Authority control Environmental model cities Populated coastal places in Japan Port settlements in Japan Cities in Kanagawa Prefecture Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan