Location and History

Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city by population and is just a 30-minute train ride from the capital, Tokyo. It is also a top tourist spot in Japan, known for its historic buildings, large seaside parks, and the world's largest Chinatown.

Yokohama began to develop as a major city in 1185 when the samurai leader Minamotono Yoritomo established his government in Kamakura. Because Yokohama was close to Kamakura and facing the sea, it attracted many people, including samurai, merchants, craftsmen, and religious figures, as a key trade port.

In 1603, the samurai Tokugawa Ieyasu established a new government and implemented a policy of isolating Japan from foreign countries, except for a few like the Netherlands. As a result, Yokohama thrived as a city close to the shogun’s residence (now the Imperial Palace), but it lost its function as a key trade port. This period lasted for about 260 years.

In 1853, when an American fleet arrived at Yokohama Port and strongly demanded that Japan open to foreign trade, the era of isolation came to an end. Following this event, Japan began to engage with various foreign countries again, and trade ports were established throughout the country. Among these, Yokohama became one of the largest trade ports, quickly adopting Western culture and promoting Japanese culture abroad. The Chinatown in Yokohama, which still exists today, was formed during this period as a residential area for Chinese people who worked as interpreters.

After the Tokugawa shogunate, the new government rapidly advanced modernization in all areas, including politics, economics, culture, education, and thought. Because Yokohama had already embraced Western culture, it adapted quickly to these changes and became the first place in Japan to adopt Western innovations such as railways, gas lamps, telephones, beef hotpot, tennis, hotels, and so on. Even today, Yokohama is seen by Japanese people as a city representing “globalization”, “civilization”, and “enlightenment”.