is the main international passenger

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

at the

Port of Yokohama The is operated by the Port and Harbor Bureau of the City of Yokohama in Japan. It opens onto Tokyo Bay. The port is located at a latitude of 35.27–00°N and a longitude of 139.38–46°E. To the south lies the Port of Yokosuka; to the nort ...

, located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. Ōsanbashi is the oldest pier in Yokohama, originally constructed between 1889 and 1896. Major

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

s such as the

Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner. Built for the Cunard Line, the ship was operated as a transatlantic liner and cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was laid up until converted into a floating hotel, operating sin ...

were at one time embarked here, although 90,000 GWT ships such as MS Queen Elizabeth are often obliged to use nearby container terminals owing to their enormous size. The pier is also known as one of the best places to see the Yokohama Three Towers (The King, Queen and the Jack)

History

The Port of Yokohama was opened in 1859 as a direct result of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, and the

Ansei Treaties The Ansei Treaties (Japanese: 安政条約) or the Ansei Five-Power Treaties (Japanese: 安政五カ国条約) are a series of treaties signed in 1858, during the Japanese Ansei era, between Japan on the one side, and the United States, Great B ...

signed between the

Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

and the governments of the United States, Great Britain, France, The Netherlands and Russia. Yokohama grew rapidly as a

treaty port Treaty ports (; ) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Qing dynasty of China (before the ...

and commercial center due to its proximity to Tokyo, natural deep water harbour and protection from strong winds by the Honmoku bluff. Initially the port only offered two small stone

wharf A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...

s for visiting ships, built on the current site of the modern Ōsanbashi Pier. The two wharfs, known as the French and English Hatoba, were too shallow for the ocean going ships to dock, and so

barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...

s were used to carry passengers and freight to and from the ships in the outer harbour. In 1894, the Japanese government provided funding for an extended steel pier to replace the English Hatoba. Designed by British engineer,

Henry Spencer Palmer Major General Henry Spencer Palmer (30 April 1838 – 10 February 1893) was a British Army military engineer and surveyor, noted for his work in developing Yokohama harbor in the Empire of Japan as a foreign advisor to the Japanese government ...

, the new pier was able to accommodate up to four ships simultaneously. Although the pier was repaired and enlarged several times, it survived the 1923

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 (bo ...

, and the bombing raids of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

largely intact. During the occupation the pier was renamed South Pier and remained under occupation forces control until 1952. In 1964, a reconstruction of Ōsanbashi Passenger Terminal was completed in time before the

1964 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequ ...

Current pier

To meet modern demands, Ōsanbashi Pier was again reconstructed between 1988 and 2002. The newly reconstructed passenger terminal is named the ''Yokohama International Passenger Terminal'', designed by

Foreign Office Architects Foreign Office Architects, FOA, was an architectural design studio headed by former husband and wife team Farshid Moussavi and Alejandro Zaera-Polo. The London-based studio, which was established in 1993, specialised in architectural design, mast ...

( Alejandro Zaera-Polo and Farshid Moussavi), the pier was the subject of a major international design competition attracting over 660 entries. The new pier can accommodate up to four 30,000-ton class ships or two 70,000-ton class ships at the same time. The departure/arrival lobby, ticketing booth, customs, immigration, large multipurpose hall, shops and cafe are all on the 2nd floor of this terminal. There is a parking facility on the 1st floor, and an extensive, gently curving observation deck with planted grass areas, open to the public on the rooftop. The Port and City of Yokohama developed other renovation and construction projects in the waterfront area, such as the

Minato Mirai 21 , often known as simply Minato Mirai and abbreviated as MM (used on the minatomiri line station numbering; e.g. “MM 1”) is the central business district of Yokohama, Japan. Initially developed in the 1980s, Minato Mirai 21 was designed as a l ...

project, in this time frame. Osanbashi_Pier_Building

Notes

References

* Sakamoto, Tomoko. ''The Yokohama Project''. Actar (March 2003).

External links

Ōsanbashi Pier
(Port and Harbor Bureau, City of Yokohama)
History of the Port of Yokohama
(Port and Harbor Bureau, City of Yokohama)
JapaneseEnglish
Ōsanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal {{DEFAULTSORT:Osanbashi Pier 1889 establishments in Japan Buildings and structures completed in 2002 2002 establishments in Japan Naka-ku, Yokohama Buildings and structures in Yokohama Piers in Japan Tourist attractions in Yokohama Transport buildings and structures in Kanagawa Prefecture

History

Current pier

See also

Notes

References

External links