Yokohama is a port city located about 30 km south of the Tokyo City Centre. It is Japan’s second-largest city and is Japan’s main international trade port. The city is host to a wide range of cultural sites, great cuisine and beautiful art making it a cosmopolitan city. Yokohama is also home to many foreign businesses, but at the same time, the city is laid back compared to other cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

Yokohama - Image via Flickr

There are many accommodation options in Yokohama, but for a great and easily accessible place to stay, you should stay at Citadines Harbour Front in Yokohama. They are conveniently located only 30 minutes away from the Haneda International Airport and in close proximity to many of the popular tourist attractions that Yokohama has to offer. Their 1-bedroom apartments in Yokohama make for a comfortable and picturesque stay which is well suited for business travellers as well as for leisure stays. After settling into your choice of places to stay you can venture out to explore and visit the various attractions and eateries that Yokohama has to offer.

Yokohama’s Chinatown is the largest in Japan and it has many restaurants, entertainment areas and stores to go shopping in to keep you occupied for many hours. The food here is what draws in many visitors, and you will surely be enticed by the aromas and sounds coming from the various restaurants as you walk by. Stop by for a meal or sample the different dishes on offer so that you can experience as many delicious dishes as you would like. After having your fill to eat, continue walking along to check out the souvenir shops, that offer cute items such as charms, carved dragons, golden lucky cats, lion dolls and panda merchandise. If you are visiting Yokohama during the Chinese New Year in February then you will be able to see the festivals and events which feature mesmerising lion dancing, special activities and food as part of the celebrations.

After leaving Chinatown you can head over through Yamashita Park to reach Osanbashi which is the major international port of Yokohama. Although there is not much to do here in terms of activities, its architectural and structural beauty is well worth viewing. From there you can head over to the Red Brick Warehouses which were built in the 1920s and previously used as inspection centres for all goods delivered to the harbour. Today they have been renovated into specialty stores, cafes, dessert shops and modern eateries and bars. There are many great restaurants that cater to all types of cuisine.

The Cup Noodles Museum is an interactive cup noodle experience that allows you to make your own chicken ramen, design personalised cups and learn about the history of cup noodles which makes for an interesting attraction to visit. From there you can visit World Porters which is a shopping centre that has many international shops, brands, hobbies and household goods stores. It has 6 floors each with different shops, restaurants and even a rooftop garden. The Yokohama Cosmo World is a miniature theme park that is located on the harbour, which is an iconic Ferris Wheel that can be seen from most parts of the Yokohama city. The theme park has three sections which include 32 attractions, of which the Ferris Wheel is a must to visit to see a truly stunning view over Yokohama City.