横浜 · Yokohama Day Trip

Yokohama Day Trip from Tokyo: Chinatown, Bay & Manga

Japan's largest Chinatown, the Minato Mirai bay skyline, and the Cup Noodles Museum — 30 minutes from Shibuya

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Yokohama gets less attention than the famous day trips out of Tokyo — Hakone, Nikko, Mt. Fuji — but it is by far the easiest. Thirty minutes south of Shibuya on a single train ride, with a bay skyline, Japan's largest Chinatown, and a stretch of waterfront nothing in central Tokyo can match. For a half-day reset midway through a Tokyo trip, it is hard to beat.

This guide covers what to do, what to eat, and how to put together a half-day or full-day trip. If you have only one short break from Tokyo, Yokohama is the most convenient one to take.

From Shibuya~30 min by Tokyu Toyoko Line

From Tokyo Station~25 min by JR Tokaido

Cost from Tokyo¥280–¥480 one way

Time neededHalf day (4–6 hrs) or full day

Getting to Yokohama

Yokohama has several stations, and the right one depends on what you want to see. The two most useful for first visits are Yokohama Station (the main hub) and Minato Mirai / Motomachi-Chukagai (closer to the bay and Chinatown).

• Tokyu Toyoko Line: the most convenient option from Shibuya. Through-running services continue onto the Minatomirai Line and stop at Minato Mirai and Motomachi-Chukagai (Chinatown), saving you a transfer. ~30 minutes, ¥480.
• JR Tokaido / Yokosuka Line: from Tokyo Station to Yokohama Station, ~25 minutes, ¥480. Faster but you arrive away from the bay.
• JR Keihin-Tohoku Line: a slower local train from Tokyo Station, but covered by the Tokyo wide-area passes and JR Pass.
• Limousine Bus from Haneda: direct to Yokohama in 30 minutes, ¥600. Useful if you fly in and want to skip Tokyo for the first day.

Pro tip: if you stay near Shibuya, take the Toyoko Line all the way to Motomachi-Chukagai. You will surface in the middle of Chinatown and skip the larger Yokohama Station entirely.

Yokohama Chinatown

Yokohama Chinatown — Chukagai — is the largest Chinatown in Japan and one of the largest in Asia. It dates back to 1859, when Yokohama opened as a treaty port and Chinese merchants arrived to trade. Today it is a six-block grid of around 600 restaurants and shops, four ornate gates, and the Kanteibyo temple to the god of business.

What to eat:

• Xiao long bao (shoronpo): soup dumplings — a Chukagai staple. Stand-up dim sum stalls do them for ¥500–¥800.
• Steamed pork buns (nikuman): Edosei and Rouhouju are the two famous bun specialists. ¥300–¥500 each.
• Panda buns: a kid-friendly novelty — pork bun shaped like a panda's face. Photogenic and surprisingly good.
• Mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, Peking duck: sit-down restaurants offering full Chinese course menus from ¥1,500 lunch to ¥6,000+ dinner.
• Bubble tea, mango sago, almond tofu: stalls and cafes throughout the area.

The most atmospheric streets are around Chukagai Odori (the main street running east-west) and the alleys behind the Kanteibyo temple. Avoid the eat-as-you-walk if you want to fit in — most locals eat at counters or sit at tables.

Minato Mirai 21

Across the harbor from Chinatown is Minato Mirai 21, Yokohama's modern bay area. The skyline of glass and steel includes Landmark Tower (Japan's second-tallest building until 2014), the swooping Pacifico convention center, and the white-sailed Intercontinental hotel.

Landmark Tower & Sky Garden

The 296-meter Landmark Tower has an observation deck on the 69th floor (Sky Garden). The elevator is one of the fastest in the world — you reach the top in 40 seconds. The view spans Tokyo on a clear day, with Mt. Fuji on the western horizon when the air is right. Tickets are around ¥1,000 adult, ¥800 student.

Cosmo World Ferris wheel

The 112-meter Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel was the world's tallest when built in 1989 and still dominates the bay. A ride costs ¥900 and takes about 15 minutes. Best at sunset; spectacular at night when the wheel itself becomes a giant clock display.

Akarenga (Red Brick Warehouse)

Two restored Meiji-era brick warehouses on the waterfront, repurposed as boutique shops, restaurants, and event space. The buildings themselves are the attraction — beautifully lit at night, with seasonal events (Christmas Market, German Beer Festival, ice skating in winter) on the plaza. Free to walk around.

Cup Noodles Museum

One of the more unexpectedly fun stops in Yokohama. The Cup Noodles Museum tells the story of Momofuku Ando inventing instant ramen in 1958, with surprisingly thoughtful exhibits on creativity and entrepreneurship. The headline experience is the My Cupnoodles Factory — for ¥500 you design your own cup noodles cup, choose four toppings, and seal it for the trip home. It takes about 20 minutes and is fun for all ages.

• Hours: 10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays.
• Admission: ¥500 adult, free for high school and below.
• Reservation: the My Cupnoodles Factory often books out. Reserve online for weekends.
• Walking time from Sakuragicho station: 8 minutes.

Sankeien Garden

Often missed by tourists, Sankeien Garden is a 17-hectare traditional garden in southern Yokohama. It was built in 1906 by silk merchant Hara Sankei, who relocated historic buildings from Kyoto, Kamakura, and elsewhere. The result is one of the most authentic traditional garden experiences near Tokyo, with a three-story pagoda dating from 1457 and seasonal cherry blossoms, plums, and autumn maples.

• Bus 8 or 148 from Yokohama Station, around 35 minutes.
• Admission: ¥900 adult.
• Best time: early April for cherry blossoms, late November for maples.

Sankeien is a deeper experience than the central tourist sights — plan 90 minutes if you go.

Yamashita Park & the Hikawa Maru

Yamashita Park stretches along the bay between Chinatown and the cruise terminal — a pleasant 700-meter walk with sea breeze and rose gardens. Moored at the park is the Hikawa Maru, a 1930 ocean liner that once carried passengers between Yokohama and Seattle. It is now a museum ship; ¥300 to board, with restored cabins and engine rooms.

The park is free, open 24 hours, and a calm break between Chinatown and Minato Mirai. At night the bay reflections of the Cosmo Clock and Landmark Tower line up perfectly behind the Hikawa Maru's silhouette.

Yokohama at Night

Yokohama is one of the better-lit Japanese cities at night. The bay illuminations are switched on at sunset and run until around midnight. Recommended walking route:

1. 17:30 (winter) or 18:30 (summer): Sunset at Yamashita Park.
2. 19:00: Walk west along the Kishamichi Promenade — a converted railway over the harbor.
3. 19:30: Akarenga warehouses lit up.
4. 20:00: Cosmo World Ferris wheel from below, or ride for the view from above.
5. 20:30: Late dinner in Chinatown or Sakuragicho's izakaya alleys.

Where to Eat in Yokohama

Beyond Chinatown, Yokohama has its own food specialties:

• Iekei ramen: Yokohama-style ramen — thicker tonkotsu-shoyu broth, thick noodles, spinach and seaweed garnish. Ichiroku Ie and Yoshimuraya are the two most-cited shops.
• Yokohama-style Western food: the city was Japan's first international port, so Western-Japanese fusion (yoshoku) has deep roots here. Naples-style spaghetti at Centerguri, hayashi rice at Kaikoutei.
• Bashamichi 10 Bancan: a beautifully restored 1928 bank now hosting an Italian restaurant.
• Craft breweries: Bay Brewing and the brewpub at Akarenga both serve local Yokohama craft beer.

Half-Day vs Full-Day Itineraries

Half-day Yokohama (4–5 hours)

1. 13:00: Arrive at Motomachi-Chukagai, lunch in Chinatown.
2. 14:30: Walk to Yamashita Park, sea breeze and Hikawa Maru.
3. 15:30: Akarenga Warehouse, then Minato Mirai bay walk.
4. 16:30: Sunset at Cosmo World or Landmark Tower observation.
5. 18:00: Train back to Tokyo for dinner.

Full-day Yokohama (8+ hours)

Add Sankeien Garden in the morning (1.5 hours plus transit), Cup Noodles Museum after lunch, and a longer evening for dinner and bay illuminations. A full day works well if you start from Tokyo by 09:00 and return by 21:00.

Practical Tips

• IC card works everywhere: Suica or Pasmo on every Yokohama train, bus, and ferry.
• Sea Bass ferry: a small bay ferry connects Yokohama Station East, Minato Mirai, and Yamashita Park. ¥600 one way and a fun alternative to the train.
• Avoid weekends if possible: Chinatown becomes very crowded on Saturdays and Sundays after 12:00.
• Combine with Kamakura: Kamakura is 25 minutes south of Yokohama on the JR Yokosuka Line — a strong full-day combination if you want both old and new in the Tokyo area.

Plan More Day Trips

Yokohama is the easiest day trip from Tokyo, but not the only one. See our Best Day Trips from Tokyo for Nikko, Kamakura, and Hakone, and our Mt. Fuji Day Trip for the iconic mountain excursion.