Last week, our agent Pam headed to Tokyo to check out the sights, smells and sounds of Japan. She spent the first few days exploring the capital, and is now venturing out to check out neighboring towns. First on her route outside of the capital? Yokohama.
Located south of Tokyo, this prominent port city on Tokyo Bay is just a half-hour, high-speed train ride away. With a population of over three million, Yokohama is Japan’s second largest city. For more than a century, its conveniently located harbor has attracted a diverse gathering of foreigners–a fact still evident in the sizable Chinatown and the historical Western homes in the Yamate district.
Here you’ll find the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, an amusement park that combines aquarium with thrill rides and a market. At the park there are over 500 species of aquatic creatures, some of which are featured in a “touch and learn lagoon.”
Other cool museums are the Sail Training Ship Museum, Cupnoodles Museum, and the Silk Museum. At the Nogeyama Zoo, you can catch glimpses of red pandas, peacocks and giraffes.
Yokohama also has one of the largest Chinatowns in the world, with over 500 shops and restaurants sandwiched in 500 square meters.
Visitors can take a respite from the hustle and bustle of city life at the Sankei Garden, a classical Japanese garden that spans over 18,000 square meters. It’s a beautiful spot particularly in the spring, when plum and cherry blossoms bloom.
And if you’re lucky enough to be there the season Pam’s there, you may be able to catch the Kanagawa Shimbun Fireworks Festival (August), an impressive summer event in the harbor.
Call Wittravel to arrange your trip to Japan or to discover more about the Land of the Rising Sun, at 503-224-0180 or email info@wittravel.com.
