is the
second-largest city in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
. It is the capital and most populous city in
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
, with a population of 3.7 million in 2023. It lies on
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...
, south of
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, in the
Kantō region
The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
of the main island of
Honshu
, historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...
. Yokohama is also the major economic, cultural, and commercial hub of the
Greater Tokyo Area
The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefecture, Gunma, Ibaraki Prefecture, ...
along the
Keihin Industrial Zone.
Yokohama was one of the cities to open for trade with the
West
West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
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 of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
opened in 1853. Yokohama is the home of many Japan's firsts in the
Meiji period
The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
, 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
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...
following the end of Japan's relative isolation in the mid-19th century and is today one of its major ports along with
Kobe
Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
,
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
,
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
,
Fukuoka
is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...
, Tokyo and
Chiba.
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
, commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...
,
Nissan
is a Japanese multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house ...
,
JVCKenwood,
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. ...
,
Koei Tecmo
is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo. Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship video game developer and publisher Koei Tecmo ...
,
Sotetsu and
Bank of Yokohama. 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 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 Europeans arrived, Yokohama was a small fishing village up to the end of the feudal
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, 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
Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was an American and Canadian actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994– ...
arrived just south of Yokohama with a fleet of American warships, demanding that Japan open several ports for commerce, and 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 ...
agreed by signing the
Treaty of Peace and Amity.
It was initially agreed that one of the ports to be opened to foreign ships would be the town of
Kanagawa-juku (in what is now
Kanagawa Ward) on the
Tōkaidō, a strategic highway that linked
Edo to Kyoto and Osaka. However, 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 ...
decided that Kanagawa-juku was too close to the Tōkaidō for comfort, and port facilities were instead built across the inlet in the 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, residential districts later expanding as the settlement grew to incorporate much of the elevated
Yamate district overlooking the city, commonly referred to by English-speaking residents as ''The Bluff''. Under pressure from United States and United Kingdom officials, the Tokugawa government built a commercial sex district which opened on November 10, 1859, with 6 brothels and 200 indentured sex workers.
The area of Yokohama with the highest concentration of brothels was known as Bloodtown.
Kannai, 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, Japan's first English language newspaper, the ''Japan Herald'' published in 1861 and in 1865 the first ice cream confectionery and
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
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 activity, 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 bas ...
in 1862,
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
in 1863 and
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
in 1866. A great fire destroyed much of the foreign settlement on November 26, 1866, and
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
was a recurrent public health hazard, but the city continued to grow rapidly – attracting foreigners and Japanese alike.
Meiji and Taisho periods (1868–1923)
After the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
of 1868, the port was developed for trading
silk
Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
, 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
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
constructed in the same year to connect Yokohama to
Shinagawa
is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The Ward refers to itself as Shinagawa City in English. The Ward is home to ten embassies.
, the Ward had an estimated population of 380,293 and a population density of 16,510 persons per ...
and
Shinbashi
, sometimes transliterated Shimbashi, is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Name
Read literally, the characters in Shinbashi mean "new bridge".
History
The area was the site of a bridge built across the Shiodome River in 1604. The river was l ...
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'', capturing the atmosphere of the fast-developing, internationally oriented Japanese city.
In 1887, a British merchant,
Samuel Cocking, 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
In international law, extraterritoriality or exterritoriality is the state of being exempted from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations.
Historically, this primarily applied to individuals, as jurisdict ...
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.
Great Kantō earthquake and the Second World War (1923–1945)
Much of Yokohama was destroyed on September 1, 1923, by the
Great Kantō earthquake. 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
Black magic (Middle English: ''nigromancy''), sometimes dark magic, traditionally refers to the use of Magic (paranormal), magic or supernatural powers for evil and selfish purposes.
The links and interaction between black magic and religi ...
to cause the earthquake.
Martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
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
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. After the occupation, most local U.S. naval activity moved from Yokohama to an American base in nearby
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...
.
Four years after the
Treaty of San Francisco
The , also called the , re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war, military occupation and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and inclu ...
signed, the city was designated by
government ordinance on September 1, 1956. The city's tram and
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
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
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
of the Orient" was compared to
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the ci ...
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 region encompassing the coast, coastline where the Eastern United States meets the Atlantic Ocean; it has always pla ...
. Minato Mirai 21 hosted the Yokohama Exotic Showcase in 1989, which saw the first public operation of
maglev trains in Japan and the opening of
Cosmo Clock 21, then the tallest
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...
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
second-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 (TICAD IV), which was held in Yokohama in May 2008. In November 2010, Yokohama hosted the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy , economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Following the success of Association of Southeast Asia ...
(APEC) meeting.
Geography
Topography
Yokohama has a total area of at an elevation of above sea level. It is the capital of
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
, bordered to the east by
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...
and located in the middle of the
Kantō plain
The , in the Kantō region of central Honshu, is the largest plain in Japan. Its 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefe ...
. The city is surrounded by hills and the characteristic mountain system of the island of
Honshū
, historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...
, 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 km
2.
The highest points within the urban boundary are Omaruyama () and Mount Enkaizan (). The main river is the
Tsurumi River, which begins in the Tama Hills and empties into the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
.
These municipalities surround Yokohama:
Kawasaki,
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...
,
Zushi,
Kamakura
, officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...
,
Fujisawa,
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...
,
Machida.
Geology
The city is very prone to natural phenomena such as
earthquakes
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they c ...
and
tropical cyclones
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
because the island of
Honshū
, historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...
has a high level of seismic activity, being in the middle of the Pacific
Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes.
It is about long and up to about wide, and surrounds most of the Pa ...
.
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: the
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake (, or ) was a major earthquake that struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshu at 11:58:32 JST (02:58:32 UTC) on Saturday, 1 September 1923. It had an approximate magnitude of 8.0 on the mom ...
devastated the city and caused more than 100,000 fatalities throughout the region,
while the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
, 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 subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''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.
Demographics
The city's population is 3,772,726 as of 1 June 2024, making it the second-most populated city in the country after
Tokyo's 23 special wards. Among Yokohama's 18 wards, the most inhabited was
Kohoku with a population of 364,760, followed by
Aoba (308,379),
Tsurumi (297,230), and
Totsuka (282,601). In terms of population density,
Nishi and
Minami are the most densely populated, with a per square kilometre population exceeding 15,000. Of Yokohama's population, 1,548,077 work outside the city, while 1,226,618 workers commute from outside the city. As these numbers suggest, some of Yokohama's residential areas are commuter suburbs (or "bed towns" as known in Japanese) for those who work in other major cities, primarily Tokyo.
Immigration
As of June 2024, Yokohama's population includes 121,042 foreign nationals, making up 3.2% of the total population, with the number having grown significantly in recent years. While all three countries with the number of nationals living in Yokohama as citizens exceeding 10,000 are all in Asia (
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
), other major countries of origin for Yokohama's non-Japanese residents include
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
(2,823), the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
(2,793),
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
(1,312), the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(840), and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
(770). There is no official survey of the citizens' countries of birth, hence these numbers do not include naturalized citizens, but they include foreign nationals born outside their country of citizenship.
Administration
Municipal administration
Yokohama is one of the 20
designated cities in the country, which means the city has many powers that usually belong to prefectural governments, while having wards as subdivisions with administrative functions. Yokohama city consists of 18 wards, with its government seat in
Naka Ward. The
Yokohama City Council 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 his predecessor
Fumiko Hayashi in the
2021 Yokohama mayoral election.
Wards
Yokohama has 18
wards (''ku''):
Economy
In 2020, Yokohama's total gross regional product was 14.06 trillion yen or US$133 billion, a 1.9 per cent decrease compared to the previous year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. This converts to US$35,107 per citizen, below the national average. A large number of Yokohama's citizens work outside the city (693,064 in 2020), primarily in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, and the economic value they generate outside the city does not contribute to Yokohama's economic output. The largest contributors to this figure were wholesale and retail (17.8%), healthcare (11.7%), and academic, professional, or technological services (11.0%).
[Yokohama's Economy in Data]
(PDF). ''www.city.yokohama.lg.jp''. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
Major companies headquartered
File:Nissan headquarters 2022.jpg, Nissan
is a Japanese multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house ...
Global Headquarters in Nishi-ku
File:JVCKENWOOD001.jpg, JVCKenwood headquarters in Kanagawa-ku
File:Koei Tecmo headquarters -01.jpg, Koei Tecmo
is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo. Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship video game developer and publisher 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
, commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...
headquarters in Nishi-ku
Culture and sights

Yokohama's cultural and tourist sights include:
*
Gumyōji, oldest temple in the city
*
Harbor View Park
* The
Hikawa Maru, historic passenger and cargo ship
*
Kanazawa Bunko, preserves the cultural heritage of the Hōjō clan
* Kishine-Park
*
Landmark Tower, 296 m high, second tallest skyscraper in Japan
*
Minato Mirai 21
*
Nippon Maru, museum ship
*
Sankei-en Garden
*
Yamashita Park (at the harbor)
*
Yokohama Chinatown
*
Yokohama Foreign Cemetery
*
Yokohama Marine Tower
*
Yokohama Stadium (the
Yokohama DeNA BayStars Pro baseball teams's home field)
*
Yokohama Three Towers
* Yokohama Triennale
* Zō-no-Hana Terrace (象の鼻テラス)
*
Yokohama City Library
*
Kanagawa Prefectural Library
Museums

There are 42 museums in the city area, including.
*
CupNoodles Museum (
Momofuku Andō 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: 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.
*
Shin-Yokohama Rāmen Museum: Comprehensive history of ramen and ramen themed food court
*
Yokohama Archives of History: Located in the former British Consulate building with exhibits related to port development and the arrival of
Matthew Perry
Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was an American and Canadian actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994– ...
.
*
Yokohama Museum of Art: Founded in 1989, featuring modern works by well-known international and Japanese artists.
*
Yokohama Silk Museum: Exhibits focusing on the production and processing of silk; including many clothes.
Gallery
File:Sangkaien Garden.jpg, Sankei-en Garden
File:伊勢佐木町2012年8月24日(金).jpg, Isezakichō
File:Saint Patricks Day in Motomachi Yokohama.jpg, Motomachi
File:Chinatown in Yokohama 10.jpg, Yokohama Chinatown
File:Yokohama3Towers From Akarenga.JPG, Yokohama Three Towers
File:Harbour View Park, Yamate, Yokohama.jpg, Harbor View Park towards the Yokohama Bay Bridge
File:Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History 2009.jpg, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History
File:Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama 2017.jpg, CupNoodles Museum
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, 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. ...
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
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-jingu Torii.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.
*
Kamonyama Park
* 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.
* Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise: A large park with an aquarium. Otherwise rides, shops, restaurants, etc.
* Zoorasia: Nice zoo with lots of play options for children. However, in this zoo admission costs.
* Since 2020, after six years of development, a giant robot named
Gundam
is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ...
, 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.
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
is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...
exterior
File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg, Nissan Stadium exterior
File:International Stadium Yokohama-1.jpg, Nissan Stadium crowd
*Baseball:
Yokohama DeNA BayStars
*Association football:
Yokohama FC
is a Japanese professional football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club was formed by fans of Yokohama Flügels as a protest against Flügels' merger with Yokohama Marinos in 1999, becoming th ...
(
J1 League
The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system.
Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...
),
Yokohama F. Marinos (J1 League),
YSCC Yokohama (
Japan Football League
The , also known as simply the JFL, is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League 100 Year Plan club sta ...
), NHK Yokohama FC Seagulls (Nadeshiko League Div. 2)
*Velodrome:
Kagetsu-en Velodrome
*Basketball:
Yokohama B-Corsairs
*Rugby Union:
Yokohama Eagles
*
Tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
:
Ai Sugiyama
*
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
:
Yokohama Harbors
Transport

Yokohama is serviced by the
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...
, 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-Ch� ...
and
Kanazawa Seaside Line provide metro services.
Air transport
Yokohama does not have an airport, but is served by Tokyo's two main airports
Haneda Airport
, also known as and sometimes abbreviated to ''Tokyo-Haneda'', is the busier of the two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary domestic base of J ...
which is 17.4 km away and
Narita International Airport
, also known as Tokyo-Narita International Airport or simply Narita Airport, formerly and originally known as , is the secondary international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the only other one being Haneda Airport (HND). It is about e ...
which is 77 km away.
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).
In 2013,
APM Terminals
APM Terminals is a Port operator, port operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. A unit of Denmark, Danish Freight transport, shipping company Maersk's Transport and Logistics division. It manages container terminals and provides ...
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
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
The Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo Station with in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Officially, the name Yokosuka Line is assigned to the segment between and Kurihama sta ...
:* – Yokohama – – – Totsuka –
:
Keihin-Tōhoku Line
:* – – – – Yokohama
:
Negishi Line
The Negishi Line () is a Japanese railway line which connects Yokohama Station, Yokohama and Ōfuna Station, Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Freight trains also operate on this line, and it is essential f ...
:* Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – –
:
Yokohama Line
:* Higashi-Kanagawa – – – – – – – – –
:
Nambu Line
The Nambu Line () is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and Kanagawa prefec ...
:* – –
:
Tsurumi Line
The Tsurumi Line () is a group of 3 railway lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Originally built to service the port and adjacent industrial area, the lines provide passenger services (especia ...
:* Main Line : Tsurumi – – – – – –
:* Umi-Shibaura Branch : Asano – –
;
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)
:
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...
:* – Shin-Yokohama –
;
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. ...
:
Keikyu Main Line
:* – – – – – – – – – – Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
:
Keikyu Zushi Line
:* Kanazawa-Hakkei – –
;
Tokyu Railways
:
Tōyoko Line
:* – – – – Kikuna – – – – – Yokohama
:
Meguro Line
:* – Hiyoshi
:
Den-en-toshi Line
The is a major commuter line operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation and connecting south-western suburbs of Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture, with its western terminus of , to a major railway junction of western dow ...
:* – – – – – – – – Nagatsuta –
:
Kodomonokuni Line
:* Nagatsuta – –
;
Sagami Railway
:
Sagami Railway Main Line
:* Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – – –
:
Izumino Line
:* Futamata-gawa – – – – – –
;
Yokohama Minatomirai Railway
:
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-Ch� ...
:* Yokohama – – – – –
;
Yokohama City Transportation Bureau (Yokohama Municipal Subway)
:
Blue Line
:* – – – – – Totsuka – – – – – Kami-Ōoka – – – – – – Kannai – Sakuragichō – – Yokohama – – – – – Shin-Yokohama – – – – – – –
:
Green Line
:* Nakayama – – – Center Minami – Center Kita – – – – – Hiyoshi
; Yokohama New Transit
:
Kanazawa Seaside Line
:* Shin-Sugita – – – – – – – – – – – – – Kanazawa-Hakkei
Education
Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the city of Yokohama. 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.
Yokohama National University is a leading university.
* 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.
In popular culture
*
Phileas Fogg makes a stop in Yokohama before moving on to San Francisco in
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 ...
's book,
Around the World in Eighty Days.
*
Yukio Mishima
Kimitake Hiraoka ( , ''Hiraoka Kimitake''; 14 January 192525 November 1970), known by his pen name Yukio Mishima ( , ''Mishima Yukio''), was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, Ultranationalism (Japan), ultranationalis ...
'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
is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...
animated drama film directed by
Gorō Miyazaki set in the
Yamate 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 a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...
's book ''
Gai-Jin'' is in historical Yokohama.
* Vermilion City in the Kanto region from the Pokémon franchise is based on Yokohama. During the closing ceremony of the 2022
Pokémon World Championships in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, Yokohama was announced as the 2023 host city by using footage of Vermilion City from
Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow
''Pokémon Red Version'' and ''Pokémon Blue Version'' are 1996 role-playing video games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments of the Pokémon (video game series), ''Pokém ...
. The 2023 World Championships were held at the
Pacifico Yokohama between August 11–13, 2023. In the video game division, the host country won the finals of all three age divisions.
* One of the ''
Pretty Cure
The is a Japanese magical girl anime franchise created by Izumi Todo and produced by ABC Television, ABC Animation, ADK Emotions and Toei Animation. Each series revolves around a group of magical girls known as Pretty Cures who battle ag ...
'' 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.
* The main setting of the Japanese
visual novel
A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...
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
, also abbreviated as ''B-S-D'', is a Japanese manga series written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa, which has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Young Ace'' since 2012. Each cha ...
'' is set in Yokohama.
* The Japanese mixed-media project, ''
Hamatora'' takes place in Yokohama.
* The final battles in ''
Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (1992) and ''
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (2001) take place in Yokohama.
* In ''
My Hero Academia
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 2014 to August 2024, with its chapters collected in 42 volumes. Set in a wor ...
'', it is the location of the Nomu Warehouse where they created artificial Humans (a.k.a. Nomus).
* Sumaru City in the ''
Persona 2'' duology 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
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise (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.
* 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'' as well as manga series with the same title by
Jun Mayuzuki.
*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.
*
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's 1963 film
''High and Low'' was filmed and set in Yokohama.
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Yokohama is
twinned with:
*
Constanța
Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
,
Constanța County
Constanța () is a Counties of Romania, county (județ) of Romania on the Bulgaria–Romania border, border with Bulgaria, in the Dobruja region. Its capital city is also named Constanța.
Demographics
In 2021, it had a population of 655,997 ...
, Romania, since October 1977
*
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
, France, since April 1959
*
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, Philippines, since July 1965
*
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, India, since June 1965
*
Odesa
Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...
,
Odesa Oblast
Odesa Oblast (), also referred to as Odeshchyna (Одещина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administrative centre is the city of Ode ...
, Ukraine, since July 1965
*
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
,
CA, United States, since October 1957
*
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
, China, since November 1973
*
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
BC, Canada, since July 1965
Yokohama also cooperates with:
*
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
CA, United States
Partner cities
*
Abidjan
Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N'ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of the overall population ...
, Ivory Coast
*
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, China, since May 2006
*
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
,
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia, since June 2008
*
Busan
Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...
, South Korea, since June 2006
*
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
,
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
, Germany, since September 2011
*
Hanoi
Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
, Vietnam, since November 2007
*
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
, Vietnam, since October 2007
*
Incheon
Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...
, South Korea, since December 2009
*
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Victoria, Australia
*
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. The city spans an are ...
,
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
, Malaysia, since August 2016
*
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan, since May 2006
*
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
, Israel, since July 2012
*
Tianjin
Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
, China, since May 2008
Sister ports
*
Port of Barcelona, Spain,since November 1989
*
Port of Dalian
The Port of Dalian (38° 55' N 121° 41' E) founded in 1899 lies at the southern tip of Liaodong Peninsula in Liaoning province and is the most northern ice-free port in China. It is also the largest multi-purpose port in Northeast China serving ...
, friendship port treaty, since September 1990
*
Port of Hamburg
The Port of Hamburg (, ) 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" (), it is the country's largest seaport by volume. In terms of TEU throughput, Hambur ...
, 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, friendship port treaty, since October 1983
Notable people
*Lily Abegg, journalist
*Jo Asakura, member of Japanese boy group &Team
*The Brahman Brothers, professional wrestlers
*Annie Florence Brown, community leader
*Toru Furuya, singer and voice actor
*Shigetoshi Hasebe, football manager and former player
*Tamon Honda, professional wrestler
*Joe Higuchi, professional wrestler
*Antonio Inoki, professional wrestler and politician
*Naoya Inoue, boxer
*Yuma Kagiyama, figure skater
*Shinobu Kandori, politician and professional wrestler
*Crystal Kay, singer
*Hana Kimura, professional wrestler
*Kyoko Kimura, professional wrestler
*Masahiko Kondō, singer and racing driver
*Miki Koyama, racing driver
*Takehito Koyasu, singer and voice actor
*Ryuji Kumita, racing driver and CEO of B-Max Racing
*Keisuke Kunimoto, racing driver
*Yuji Kunimoto, racing driver
*Natsupoi, Natsumi Maki, known by ring name Natsupoi, professional wrestler
*Hiro Matsuda, professional wrestler
*Yūta Mochizuki, actor
*Soichi Noguchi, astronaut
*Akinori Ogata, racing driver
*Radwimps, alternative rock band
*Takuro Shinohara, racing driver
*Minoru Suzuki, professional wrestler
*Kuniaki Takahashi, drifting driver
*Yasuto Wakizaka, footballer
*Yuta Watanabe, NBA player for the Toronto Raptors
*Miki Yamane, footballer
*Yusuke Tomibayashi, racing driver
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.
Notes
External links
Official WebsiteYokohama Tourism Website
*
{{Authority control
Yokohama,
Environmental model cities
Populated coastal places in Japan
Port settlements in Japan
Cities in Kanagawa Prefecture
Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan