Take a trip to Yokohama, Japan

Yokohama is Japan’s second largest city and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. Yokohama is such a great place and if you have an extra day of time after traveling around the major cities and places in Japan, squeeze in a day trip to Yokohama.

There are many different attractions in Yokohama, including one of the world's largest Chinatown, stylish shopping malls, a Ferris wheel and park along the sea, and more.

1. Yokohama Chinatown

Japan's largest Chinatown is located in central Yokohama. A large number of Chinese stores and restaurants can be found in the narrow and colorful streets of Chinatown. Various events and festivals such as Chinese New Year around the beginning of February are also held at Chinatown.

The main attraction of the Yokohama Chinatown, however, is the cuisine offered at its many restaurants and food stands. Popular favorites include steamed buns (Manju), ramen noodles and a wide array of other Chinese dishes, many of which have been Japanized to a certain degree.

Read more: The most famous Chinatowns in Asia

2. Yamashita Park

Here is a public park that stretches about 750 meters along Yokohama's waterfront. The park is about a hundred meters wide and consists mostly of open green space.

One of the park's main features is a wide path that runs along the water. It is usually quite busy, with many people enjoying the view of the bay and the ships passing by. At the park's southern end, the path leads into the Rinkosen promenade, which passes by the Osanbashi Pier and leads to Minato Mirai. The walk is a pleasant way to travel between the areas.

3. Cup Noodles Museum

A fun and interactive museum in Yokohama's Minato Mirai District that shows the history of instant ramen noodles using a combination of whimsical exhibits and hands-on workshops. It was opened by the Nissin Food company, whose founder invented instant ramen noodles in 1958 as a fast and convenient food.

The museum shows a short film introducing the history of instant noodles, together with unconventional exhibits such as a replica of the shed where instant noodles were invented and a visual timeline of instant noodle products from around the world. Moreover, there are also several activities at the museum including the popular My Cupnoodles Factory workshop where you can create your own original cup noodle by mixing and matching a variety of soup flavors and toppings.

4. Yokohama Landmark Tower Sky Garden

The second tallest building in Japan from where you can enjoy the incredible night view that has been selected as one of the Top 100 city views. The Sky Garden is located on the 69th floor. Other floors of the building function as offices, hotel, shopping mall, and a multi-purpose hall.

5. Sankeien Garden

Sankeien is a spacious Japanese style garden in southern Yokohama which exhibits a number of historic buildings from across Japan. There is a pond, small rivers, flowers and wonderful scrolling trails that make you think you are in Kyoto rather than Yokohama.

6. Ramen Museum

The Shinyokohama Raumen Museum is a unique museum about ramen, a very popular Japanese noodle dish which was originally introduced from China. In a gallery on the first floor, the Ramen Museum presents the history of ramen noodles in Japan, including the big success of instant ramen. It displays the variety of noodles, soups, toppings, and bowls used across Japan, and shows how the noodles are made.

On the two basement floors, visitors can explore a 1:1 replica of some streets and houses of Shitamachi, the old town of Tokyo, of around the year 1958, when the popularity of ramen was rapidly increasing. For visitors who wish to try multiple ramen dishes, every store offers "mini ramen", a small portion of the featured dish.

Source Internet