Walking Tour: Discover Yokohama's Port Heritage
I put together this self-guided Yokohama walking tour through the city’s old port area for the Tokyo Lonely Planet guide (17th edition). My beat in the book was ‘Around Tokyo’ , comprising the Mt Fuji region, Hakone, Nikko, Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula, along with Yokohama.
Start: Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History
Finish: NYK Hikawa Maru
Length: 2km; 1½ hours
Begin this historic ramble at the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History, formerly the Yokohama Specie Bank (1904). The grand, domed building was designed by a Japanese architect in neo-baroque style, a marker of Yokohama's newfound wealth and Western sensibilities after a few decades of global trade. Opposite, note the handsome art-deco office building, built in 1938.
Make your way northwards to Kaigan-dori and the NYK Maritime Museum (1936). With its neoclassical colonnade, the building served as a suitably bling HQ for Nippon Yusen Kaisha, one of the oldest shipping companies in the world. Continuing east from here, you’ll reach the old Yokohama Customs building (1934) with its mosque-styled dome topping the tower.
Also crowned with a tower (the 'king' to the former's 'queen', in local lore) is the Kanagawa Prefectural Hall (1928), one block along and to the south. Opposite the building's east entrance is the leafy former British Consulate, now the Yokohama Archives of History. It was here that Japan and the US signed the first of the ‘unequal’ trade treaties in 1854. Pass through the compound (stopping at the patio cafe if you like) and you’ll see the all-white Kaigan Church (1872), the first Protestant church in Japan, established by an American missionary.
Heading north from the church to the harbour, climb the steps on to the Yamashita Rinko Line Promenade, a raised scenic walkway. From here you might see a cruise ship or two docked at the stylish Ōsanbashi pier. Stroll eastwards through Yamashita-kōen, taking in the fresh air and harbour views, until you reach the splendid New Grand Hotel (1927). Pop in for a peek at the public areas, then finish by boarding the art-deco styled NYK Hikawa Maru moored opposite, a luxury liner that once conveyed Japanese passengers to Seattle in the 1930s, bringing back jazz and other Western cultural influences. From the ship's ticket booth you can catch the Sea Bass Ferry back to Yokohama Station, or to Minato Mirai 21 for food and shopping.
(More on the bold venues in the text above):
Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History - Housed in the grand former Yokohama Specie Bank building (c1904) is this rather scholarly history museum charting the course of Kanagawa Prefecture from neolithic times through to the opening up of the city's port to the West.
Yokohama Archives of History - Inside the former British consulate, displays in English chronicle the saga of Japan's opening up at the Yokohama port following the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and his persuasively well-armed steamships.
New Grand Hotel - Dating from 1927, the New Grand has a prime waterfront location and elegant old-world charm, particularly in its original lobby and lavishly decorated ballrooms. It was once a favourite of visiting foreign dignitaries such as General McArthur and Charlie Chaplin. Note though that most rooms are housed in a modern tower annex, trading heritage atmosphere for bay views.
NYK Hikawa Maru - Moored at the eastern end of Yamashita-kōen, this 1930s luxury liner has stories to tell from its days conveying well-heeled Japanese passengers to Seattle, and later as a hospital ship in WWII. Inside you can see cabins (one of the staterooms was used by Charlie Chaplin), lounges, the engine room and bridge.