Tokyo is big. Like, biggest city in the world kind of big. To be honest, it’s a little overwhelming for my introverted self. Japan’s second largest city, Yokohama, is about 30 minutes away from Tokyo Central Station by train. Despite its proximity, Yokohama is definitely not a suburb.

Yokohama has a beautiful waterfront, Japan’s largest Chinatown, a vibrant nightlife, and laid back pedestrian shopping. This city is a great alternative to Tokyo as a first stop on a trip to Japan. Lodging is more affordable and the vibe is a little less hectic, making it easier to adjust to being in a new country with a unique culture.

Yokohama’s Waterfront

Fans of the popular Netfix series Terrace House will recognize the waterfront as a romantic destination where people go on dates to see the city lights. This area is also a great place to spend an afternoon, and has something for everyone. Here is a link to a Google Map of Yokohama’s waterfront.

This space has a stretch of beautiful parks along the waterfront, host to a friendly mix of Tai Chi enthusiasts, runners, and people throwing stale bread at seagulls. The parks lead to the bustling Yokohama Cosmoworld, an iconic amusement park, and Minato Mirai Tokyu Square, a massive shopping and entertainment complex.

Japan’s Largest Chinatown is in Yokohama

Yokohama’s Chinatown is the biggest in Japan. With beautiful gates at the neighborhood’s entrances, a colorful temple, and rows of delicious food, this is a perfect place to let your senses go wild with absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of an interesting historical area.

Despite Japan’s proximity to China, isolationist political policies that lasted until the mid-1800s mean that there isn’t much of a Chinese presence in Japan. The country opened up for trade in 1859, and Yokohama was one of the first ports to see foreigners stepping onto Japanese soil. This Chinatown popped up quickly after the port opened, and has been there ever since.

Anyone who came to Japan hoping for a life-changing bowl of ramen should look for it in this neighborhood. I was a little bit surprised to learn that soba and udon are the real king and queen of Japanese noodles. Ramen, which is actually made with a Chinese style of noodle, is less common.

Noge Nightlife in Yokohama

Because it is a port city with a rotating crowd of workers and tourists, Yokohama has a particularly active nightlife. This activity is centered in the Noge neighborhood. The nightlife game is so strong in Noge that, when we walked through the neighborhood at 3 p.m., absolutely everything was still closed. Most places didn’t open until around 7 p.m.

We aren’t huge nightlife people, so we didn’t explore the area after dark. When we walked through on a Saturday afternoon, you could tell that shop owners were busy preparing for a big rush of people. I suspect that they quench the thirst of many a ship crew, not to mention a good number of locals and tourists.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Latitude Legends (@latitudelegends) on Jan 25, 2019 at 11:21pm PST

Shopping Isezakicho in Yokohama

Isezakicho is a more laid back alternative to the big mall on Yokohama’s waterfront. This pedestrian only shopping street offers smaller shops with quality Japanese goods. We found a great mix of stationary, new and used books, and knife wear, alongside more typical souvenirs.

The street stretches for about a kilometer (you can check out the Google Map here). It is a great destination for people watching, and there are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. Lights strung above the walkway lend a nice ambiance as dusk settles in. It would be easy to spend an afternoon or evening strolling through the shops here.

Yokohama is a Great Gateway to Japan

With round the clock activities and a laid back atmosphere, Yokohama is the perfect place to get over jet lag and adjust to life in Japan. If you are flying into Tokyo, and are looking for a place to stay for your first few nights in Japan, I would recommend looking into Yokohama.