Yokohama is still something of a grand dame. Perhaps not as much the celebrated talk of the town (compared to her heyday), but she is still very much a beauty to be reckoned with.
The long wandering walk from Kannai to Nihon Odori gives a glimpse into the exciting Meiji (1868 – 1912) and Showa (1926 – 1989) days, when this port brought the world to Japan, and vice versa. The sweeping stone buildings, reminiscent of Paris or London, topped with copper that has gone green with age.
The Hotel New Grand, near the port-facing Yamashita Park, is another splendid reminder of Yokohama’s cosmopolitan past.
Those born and raised in Yokohama are called Hamakko, “children of the port”. And even now, while more and more remnants of the past get torn down and replaced by konbini (convenience stores) in Tokyo, Yokohama still protects her children and her history.
Stained glass, the scenes very different from those I grew up with in Europe, show in their tints the earliest memories of ‘gaikokujin’ (foreigners), of terrifyingly large ships and palanquins, overseen by the immortal phoenix.
Yokohama is a 35-minute ride on the express train from Shibuya on the Toyoko Line. Exit at Motomachi- Chukagai, for easy access to the famous Chinatown, Yamashita Park and area of historical houses.
Yokohama: https://www.yokohamajapan.com/
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jVrLCmJfrmg2tiwP6
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