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

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

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

and

Bank of Yokohama The Bank of Yokohama, Ltd. (株式会社横浜銀行, ''Kabushiki gaisha Yokohama Ginkō'', BOY) is the largest regional bank in Japan. It is based and headquartered in Yokohama, and operates its businesses mainly in Kanagawa Prefecture and sout ...

. Famous landmarks in Yokohama include

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 ...

, Nippon Maru Memorial Park,

Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan, which is located just south of Tokyo. It was established in the late 19th century, and has a population of about 3,000 to 4,000. Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Japan, larger than both Nankin-m ...

, Motomachi Shopping Street,

Yokohama Marine Tower is a high lattice tower with an observation deck at a height of 100 metres in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. The light characteristic is marked by a flash every twenty seconds, whereby the light's colour is alternating red and green. Originally, ...

Yamashita Park is a public park in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, famous for its waterfront views of the Port of Yokohama. History Much of Yokohama was destroyed on September 1, 1923, by the Great Kantō earthquake. A Scotsman, Marshall Martin, advisor to Ma ...

, and

Ōsanbashi Pier is the main international passenger pier at the Port of Yokohama, located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. Ōsanbashi is the oldest pier in Yokohama, originally constructed between 1889 and 1896. Major cruise ships such as the ...

Etymology

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

Ōoka River The is a river that flows through Yokohama, Japan. It is 14 km long and over 80 bridges are built on the river. There are large numbers of cherry tree A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe ( ...

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 was the third of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It was located in Kanagawa-ku in the present-day city of Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was close to Kanagawa Port. Many of its historical artifacts were destroyed by the G ...

(in what is now Kanagawa Ward) on the Tōkaidō, a strategic highway that linked

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

to Kyoto and Osaka. However, the

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 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 ...

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''. 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.

, 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 The , also known as the Kanagawa incident and Richardson affair, was a political crisis that occurred in the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the ''Bakumatsu'' on 14 September 1862. Charles Lennox Richardson, a British merchant, was killed by ...

, 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 The Bombardment of Kagoshima, also known as the , was a military engagement fought between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Britain and the Satsuma Domain in Kagoshima from 15 to 17 August 1863. The British were attempting to extract ...

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 (c. 1832 – 29 January 1909), also known as Felix Beato, was an Italian Briton, Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first war photography, war photographer ...

, 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 ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' () 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 employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate ...

'', 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 Ireland, he moved with his parents to Austr ...

, 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 Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

area and the large

. 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. Kusakabe Kimbei - Yokohama Foreign Settlement Pano

Kusakabe Kimbei - Yokohama Foreign Settlement Pano

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

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 (bo ...

. 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

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 is the rapid transit network in the city of Yokohama, Japan, south of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau as two lines, though three continuous lines exist. Lines The Yokohama Municipa ...

. Construction of

("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 Downtown Boston is the central business district of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Boston was founded in 1630. The largest of the city's commercial districts, Downtown is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters; city, c ...

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 train Maglev (derived from ''magnetic levitation'') is a system of rail transport whose rolling stock is levitated by electromagnets rather than rolled on wheels, eliminating rolling resistance. Compared to conventional railways, maglev trains ha ...

s in Japan and the opening of

Cosmo Clock 21 Cosmo Clock 21 is a 112.5 metre tall ferris wheel at the Cosmo World amusement park in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the ...

, 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 The is an cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27, 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 metres (1,510 feet). The toll is ¥600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway The is a net ...

opened in the same year. In 1993, Minato Mirai 21 saw the opening of the

Yokohama Landmark Tower The is the third tallest building and fifth tallest structure in Japan, standing high. Until surpassed by Abeno Harukas in 2014, it stood as the tallest building in Japan. It is located in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city, ...

, 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 The , currently known as for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which opened in March 1998. It is the home stadium of Yokohama F. Marinos of the J1 League. International Stadium Yokoh ...

. 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 t ...

(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

, bordered to the east by

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 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 in Kamioyamada-machi, Machida and flows 42.5 kilometers before emptying into Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coast ...

, 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,

, 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

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 (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 Japan, 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-ku, Yokohama, Naka Ward. The Yokohama City Council consists of 86 members elected from a total of 18 Wards. The Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP has minority control with 36 seats. The incumbent mayor is Takeharu Yamanaka, who defeated his predecessor Fumiko Hayashi (mayor), Fumiko Hayashi in the 2021 Yokohama mayoral election.

Wards

Yokohama has 18 Wards of Japan, 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. 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

, 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,

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

headquarters in Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa-ku File:Koei Tecmo headquarters -01.jpg,

headquarters in Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama, Kōhoku-ku File:Keikyu Group Headquarters.jpg, Keikyu, Keikyu Group headquarters in Nishi-ku File:Sotetsu HQ Building.jpg,

headquarters in Nishi-ku File:Yokohama Gate Tower - 04a.jpg,

headquarters in Nishi-ku

Culture and sights

Yokohama's cultural and tourist sights include: * Gumyōji, oldest temple in the city * Harbor View Park (Yokohama), Harbor View Park * The Hikawa Maru, historic passenger and cargo ship * Kanazawa Bunko, preserves the cultural heritage of the Hōjō clan * Kishine-Park * Yokohama Landmark Tower, Landmark Tower, 296 m high, second tallest skyscraper in Japan *

* Nippon Maru (1930), Nippon Maru, museum ship * Sankei-en Garden *

(at the harbor) *

* Yokohama Foreign Cemetery *

* 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

Yokohama Triennale 2005 Yamashita Pier Venue

There are 42 museums in the city area, including. * CupNoodles Museum Yokohama, CupNoodles Museum (Momofuku Andō Instant Ramen Museum): Several-floors of interactive exhibits related to the invention of the Ramen, 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

. *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, 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, Yokohama, Motomachi File:Chinatown in Yokohama 10.jpg,

File:Yokohama3Towers From Akarenga.JPG, Yokohama Three Towers File:Harbour View Park, Yamate, Yokohama.jpg, Harbor View Park towards the

File:Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History 2009.jpg, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History File:Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama 2017.jpg, CupNoodles Museum Yokohama, CupNoodles Museum File:Left-side view of Hikawa-maru.jpg, Hikawa Maru File:横浜マリンタワー2.jpg,

File:Nippon maru.JPG, Nippon Maru Memorial Park File:Yokohama_Red_Brick_Warehouse_2012.JPG, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse 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 Racecourse, 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, 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 exterior File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg, Nissan Stadium (Yokohama), Nissan Stadium exterior File:International Stadium Yokohama-1.jpg, Nissan Stadium (Yokohama), Nissan Stadium crowd *Baseball: Yokohama DeNA BayStars *Association football: Yokohama FC (J1 League), Yokohama F. Marinos (J1 League), YSCC Yokohama (Japan Football League), NHK Yokohama FC Seagulls (Nadeshiko League Div. 2) *Velodrome: Kagetsu-en Velodrome *Basketball: Yokohama B-Corsairs *Rugby Union: Yokohama Canon Eagles, Yokohama Eagles *Tennis: Ai Sugiyama *American football: Yokohama Harbors

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

, Minatomirai Line 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 which is 17.4 km away and Narita International Airport 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 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, 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, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) : Tōkaidō Shinkansen :* – Shin-Yokohama – ;

: Keikyu Main Line :* – – – – – – – – – – Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – – – – : Keikyu Zushi Line :* Kanazawa-Hakkei – – ; Tokyu Corporation, Tokyu Railways : Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, Tōyoko Line :* – – – – Kikuna – – – – – Yokohama : Tōkyū Meguro Line, Meguro Line :* – Hiyoshi : Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Den-en-toshi Line :* – – – – – – – – Nagatsuta – : Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Kodomonokuni Line, Kodomonokuni Line :* Nagatsuta – – ; Sagami Railway : Sagami Railway Main Line :* Yokohama – – – – – – – – – – – – – : Sagami Railway Izumino Line, Izumino Line :* Futamata-gawa – – – – – – ; Yokohama Minatomirai Railway : Minatomirai Line :* Yokohama – – – – – ; Yokohama City Transportation Bureau, Yokohama City Transportation Bureau (Yokohama Municipal Subway) : Blue Line (Yokohama), Blue Line :* – – – – – Totsuka – – – – – Kami-Ōoka – – – – – – Kannai – Sakuragichō – – Yokohama – – – – – Shin-Yokohama – – – – – – – : Green Line (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

's book,

. * 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 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's book ''Gai-Jin (novel), 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, Yokohama was announced as the 2023 host city by using footage of Vermilion City from Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow. 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'' 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

in Minato Mirai. * 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 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'', 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 (series)#Yakuza: Like a Dragon, 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 (Japan), 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 (manga), 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's 1963 film High and Low (1963 film), ''High and Low'' was filmed and set in Yokohama.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Yokohama is Sister city, twinned with: * Constanța, Constanța County, Romania, since October 1977 * Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, since April 1959 * Manila, Philippines, since July 1965 * Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, since June 1965 * Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, since July 1965 * San Diego, California, CA, United States, since October 1957 * Shanghai, China, since November 1973 * Vancouver, British Columbia, BC, Canada, since July 1965 Yokohama also cooperates with: * Los Angeles, California, CA, United States

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, Vietnam, since October 2007 * Incheon, South Korea, since December 2009 * Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia * Seberang Perai, Penang, 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, 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 Website

Yokohama 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