Yokohama

We decided to do a day trip to Yokohama from Tokyo which is only about a 30 minute journey on the JR train. We arrived in Yokohama station, and like many of the stations in Japan, we found it difficult to find a way out, as they are built inside a huge shopping centre. It kinda of felt like it was a trap to keep us inside! Eventually we found an escape route and made our way to the Landmark Tower, in the lashing rain! The lift to the 69th floor is the second fastest lift in the world, reaching speeds of 45kph or 12.5m/sec! Unfortunately due to the weather, the views at the top were limited but it was still nice to be inside staying dry!

Next stop was the Yokohama Trick Art Cruise which was made up of loads different art painted on the walls to make 3D imagines. It was a fun way to pass about an hour on a rainy day!

When the weather cleared we headed outside and walked to the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse which was made up of lots of little shops, stalls and restaurants. Then we walked through Yamashita Park along coast before heading to the Chinatown, which is the largest Chinatown in Japan. Before coming to Yokohama we had marked the Chinatown Chocolate Museum as a good place to visit. So we headed there and were disappointed when we got there! The ‘so called’ museum, consisted of two walls with the history of chocolate, all in Japanese. There was also a viewing area to see the workings of the kitchen, however everyone must have been on their break when we got there, as all we could see were the machines doing their work. Luckily we hadn’t come to Yokohama just to visit this ‘museum’ alone.

On our way back to the train station we decided to go into Starbucks for hot chocolate. We walked in to find people had left their phones, iPads and bags on the tables while they went up to the counter to order. I found it crazy to think that this is such a safe country that people have so much trust in others not to take their stuff. It’s definitely something that is missing at home these days.

Yokohama was a lovely city despite having such a wet day visiting it but it was still good fun and it’s nice to see another city in Japan.Read more