Yokohama

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and area. It is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and home to about 3.7 million people. The city lies on Tokyo Bay, just south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of Honshu.

Yokohama became an important port when Japan opened up to the West in 1859. Since then, it has been a busy and modern city. It was here that many new things first appeared in Japan, like Chinatown in 1859, European-style sports in the 1860s, and Japan’s first railway station in 1872.

Today, Yokohama is a major economic center and a key port in the Greater Tokyo Area. It is home to famous companies and well-known places such as Minato Mirai 21 and Yokohama Chinatown.

Etymology

The name "Yokohama" comes from the shape of a sandbar near the original fishing village. This sandbar stuck out sideways (yoko) from the land, and because it was by the water (hama), people called the place "Yokohama". Today, this area is surrounded by Maita Park, the Ōoka River, and the Nakamura River.

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Yokohama.

Opening of the Treaty Port (1859–1868)

Before Europeans arrived, Yokohama was a small fishing village. Japan had little contact with foreigners during the Edo period. In 1853–54, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived near Yokohama with American warships, demanding Japan open ports for trade. The Treaty of Peace and Amity was signed, and the Port of Yokohama opened on June 2, 1859.

Yokohama quickly became a center for foreign trade. Foreigners lived in areas like Kannai and Yamate. The city saw many firsts, such as Japan's first English newspaper, the first ice cream shop, and the first beer production. Sports like horse racing, cricket, and rugby were introduced by foreign residents. A big fire in 1866 and health issues like smallpox didn't stop the city's growth.

Meiji and Taisho eras (1868–1923)

After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Yokohama grew as a trading port, especially for silk. Western influence brought new technologies, such as Japan's first daily newspaper, gas street lamps, and railway. In 1889, Yokohama became an official city. By 1899, it was Japan's most international city, with areas for foreigners stretching from Kannai to Yamate and a large Chinatown.

The early 1900s saw rapid industrial growth. Factories were built north of the city, leading to wealth and population growth, including many people from Japan and Korea.

Great Kantō earthquake and World War II (1923–1945)

Much of Yokohama was destroyed by the Great Kantō earthquake on September 1, 1923. The city was rebuilt but faced destruction again during World War II from U.S. air raids. One major bombing on May 29, 1945, caused widespread damage.

Postwar growth and development

During the American occupation after World War II, Yokohama was important for supplying American forces, especially during the Korean War. Later, U.S. activities moved to Yokosuka. In 1956, Yokohama was designated a major city by government ordinance. The city developed new areas like Minato Mirai 21, starting in 1983. This area featured Japan's first maglev train service and the world's tallest Ferris wheel at the time. The Yokohama Bay Bridge opened in 1989, and the Yokohama Landmark Tower, Japan's second-tallest building, opened in 1993.

Yokohama hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup final and later events like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in 2010.

Geography

Topography

Yokohama covers an area of 437.38 km² and sits just 5 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and lies next to Tokyo Bay in the middle of the Kantō plain. The city is surrounded by hills and the mountains of Honshū, which limits its growth. Because of this, Yokohama has expanded into areas that were once covered by water.

The highest points in Yokohama are Omaruyama, which reaches 156 metres, and Mount Enkaizan, which is 153 metres tall. The main river flowing through the city is the Tsurumi River, starting in the Tama Hills and emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

Yokohama is surrounded by several nearby cities, including Kawasaki, Yokosuka, Zushi, Kamakura, Fujisawa, Yamato, and Machida.

Geology

Yokohama is located in an area with frequent natural events like earthquakes and tropical cyclones because Honshū sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Most of these movements are small and often go unnoticed. However, Yokohama has faced major tremors in the past. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake caused great damage and many deaths across the region. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was also felt in Yokohama, but because buildings were built to withstand such events, only property damage occurred and no lives were lost.

Climate

Yokohama has a humid subtropical climate, meaning it has hot, sticky summers and cool winters. The city experiences a mix of rain, clouds, and sunshine. Winters are usually sunny because of the Siberian High and the protection from rain provided by the Japanese Alps. Frost is rare. Summers can feel very hot and humid. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.2 °C on January 24, 1927, and the hottest was 38.1 °C on August 6, 2025. The most rain the city has ever received in one month was in October 2004, with 761.5 millimetres of rainfall.

Demographics

Yokohama has a population of 3,772,726 as of June 1, 2024, making it the second-largest city in Japan after Tokyo's 23 special wards. The most populated areas are Kohoku, Aoba, Tsurumi, and Totsuka. Many people live in Yokohama but work in other cities, especially in Tokyo.

Immigration

As of June 2024, Yokohama is home to 121,042 people from other countries, which is about 3.2% of the total population. Many of these residents come from Asian countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Other groups include people from Brazil, the United States, Peru, the United Kingdom, and Germany. These numbers count foreign nationals and do not include naturalized citizens.

Administration

Yokohama is one of the 20 special cities in Japan, which gives it extra powers usually handled by the local government. The city is divided into 18 areas called wards, and its main government building is in Naka Ward. The Yokohama City Council has 86 members who are chosen by people living in the wards. The current mayor is Takeharu Yamanaka.

Yokohama has 18 wards, which are parts of the city with their own local services.

Economy

In 2020, Yokohama's economy was worth about 14 trillion yen or $133 billion. This was a little less than the year before because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, each person in Yokohama earned about $35,000, which is a bit less than the rest of Japan.

Many people from Yokohama work in nearby Tokyo, so their work helps Tokyo's economy more than Yokohama's. The biggest parts of Yokohama's economy are selling goods in stores, healthcare, and jobs that need special skills or technology.

Major companies headquartered

Culture and sights

Yokohama has many interesting places to visit and explore. Some of the popular spots include Gumyō-ji, the city's oldest temple, and Harbor View Park, which offers beautiful views. You can also see the historic ship Hikawa Maru and visit Kanazawa Bunko, which keeps the history of an old Japanese family alive.

The city is home to tall buildings like Landmark Tower, one of Japan's tallest skyscrapers, and places like Minato Mirai 21, a modern area with shops and entertainment. Yokohama Chinatown is a lively area with many restaurants, and there are beautiful gardens such as Sankei-en for you to enjoy. There are also many museums, like the CupNoodles Museum where you can learn about instant noodles and even try some out.

Sports

Yokohama is a great city for sports! You can watch baseball games with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. For soccer, there are teams like Yokohama FC and Yokohama F. Marinos. The city also has places for cycling, basketball with the Yokohama B-Corsairs, ice hockey with the Yokohama Grits, and rugby with the Yokohama Eagles. You can even watch tennis players like Ai Sugiyama, and there’s a team for American football called the Yokohama Harbors.

Transport

See also: Transport in Greater Tokyo

Yokohama has many ways to get around. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen is a very fast train that stops at Shin-Yokohama Station. Yokohama Station is very busy, with two million people using it every day. There are also subways, like the Minatomirai Line and the Kanazawa Seaside Line.

Yokohama does not have its own airport. Instead, people use the two big airports near Tokyo: Haneda Airport, which is closer, and Narita International Airport, which is a little farther away.

Yokohama is also a big port. It is one of the biggest ports in the world for moving cargo by ship. In 2013, a place called APM Terminals Yokohama was known for being very good at loading and unloading ships quickly.

Yokohama has many train lines that connect different parts of the city and nearby areas. Some of these lines are run by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). There are also trains run by other companies like Keikyu, Tokyu Railways, and Sagami Railway, making it easy to travel around the city.

Education

Yokohama has many schools for children to learn. The city runs public elementary and middle schools, and there are nine public high schools run by the Yokohama City Board of Education. There are also other public high schools run by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education. One important university in Yokohama is Yokohama National University.

In Yokohama, about 46,388 children go to 260 kindergartens, and almost 386,000 students study in 351 primary schools. There are 16 universities in total, with around 83,000 students. The city's 19 public libraries had about 9.5 million book loans in 2016.

In popular culture

Yokohama has been featured in many books, movies, and games. In Jules Verne's book Around the World in Eighty Days, the character Phileas Fogg stops in Yokohama. The novel The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima is mostly set in Yokohama, showing the city's port and Western influences.

The 2011 Studio Ghibli film From Up on Poppy Hill is set in Yokohama's Yamate district. Yokohama is also the main setting of James Clavell's book Gai-Jin. In the Pokémon games, the city of Vermilion City is based on Yokohama. Yokohama was announced as the host city for the 2023 Pokémon World Championships, which took place at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center.

Yokohama appears in several other works, including the Pretty Cure movies, the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, the manga Bungo Stray Dogs, and the anime series Komi Can't Communicate. It is also the setting for After the Rain and was featured in Akira Kurosawa's film High and Low. The later seasons of the Rascal Does Not Dream anime are set around Yokohama City University's Kanazawa-Hakkei campus.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan

Twin towns – sister cities

Yokohama has friendly connections with these cities around the world:

• 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, CA, United States, since October 1957
• Shanghai, China, since November 1973
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, since July 1965

Partner cities

• Abidjan, Ivory Coast
• Balikpapan, Indonesia, since August 2025
• Beijing, China, since May 2006
• Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, since June 2008
• Busan, South Korea, since June 2006
• Da Nang, Vietnam, since January 2024
• Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, since September 2011
• Hanoi, Vietnam, since November 2007
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, since October 2007
• Hue, Vietnam, since March 2024
• Incheon, South Korea, since December 2009
• Melbourne, 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

Yokohama has been home to many famous people from different fields. Some of them are Lily Abegg, a journalist, and Jo Asakura, a member of the Japanese boy group &Team. The city has also seen professionals like the Brahman Brothers, who are wrestlers, and Annie Florence Brown, a community leader.

Other notable individuals include May J., a TV host, and Toru Furuya, a singer and voice actor. There are also many athletes such as Shigetoshi Hasebe, a football manager and former player, and Naoya Inoue, a boxer. The city is also known for its connection to the music industry with singers like Crystal Kay and groups such as Radwimps. Additionally, Yokohama has produced athletes in various sports, including racing drivers like Miki Koyama and Yuta Watanabe, who plays basketball for the Toronto Raptors.