Making the most of Yokohama
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
On arrival, passengers find themselves amid bustling Chinatown.
The new, state-of-the-art Osanbashi cruise terminal is both a working passenger facility and an architectural landmark, celebrated for broad views across Yokohama Bay and the city skyline.
Osanbashi Pier is approximately 1 to 1.5 kilometres from Yokohama's downtown Minato Mirai area, a pleasant walk of about 15-20 minutes
A public bus runs every ten minutes between the passenger terminal and Yokohama Station for 200 yen. The downtown station is the rail hub for Tokyo, about 40 km away, and other destinations. Consult the Yokohama Guide for Cruise Passengers for further Bus Routes information.
Passengers departing from Japan's Osanbashi cruise terminal in Yokohama will receive a stylish send-off, as the port has organised a farewell ceremony for every ship call. Tourists, residents and terminal staff will gather with free yellow cloth handkerchiefs to wish each vessel and its passengers a safe, happy journey.
Alongside the new Shinko terminal that opened in November 2019, a new cruise facility opened at Daikoku terminal in April 2019.
The five-storey terminal building contains a cruise terminal, 25 shops and the luxury Intercontinental Yokohama Pier8 hotel. As of March 2020, an additional neighbouring attraction will be Hammerhead Park and Promenade. At its centre will stand Yokohama's Hammerhead Crane, the first quay crane installed in 1914 and the park's main icon.
Carry a printable map ashore.
Cosmopolitan Yokohama combines old and new, together with Japanese and western cultures. Shopping areas, luxury hotels and a celebrated Chinatown are all within walking distance of the passenger terminal. A 10-minute bus journey leads to Sankeien, an extensive traditional Japanese garden, and Yokohama Noh Theater, which has a traditional 19th century noh stage.
Yokohama's city and port are famed for warmhearted hospitality developed over a century of receiving countless passenger vessels from around the globe. Its advantageous location, extensive rail networks and efficient, distinctive terminal make Yokohama an ideal logistics base for sightseeing, dining and cultural tours throughout the Tokyo Metropolitan region. Sankeien Garden is an authentic Japanese garden covering 180,000 square metres, and many of its buildings are designated national cultural properties. The garden comes alive with plum blossoms in…
Getting around
In a taxi, the driver remotely opens and closes the left rear door; passengers are not supposed to operate it themselves. Taxi drivers should not be tipped, because service is included in the fare.
If you cannot speak Japanese, or the destination is not well known, it is recommended that you give the driver its exact address on paper or, better still, indicate it on a map. Japan's address system can confuse even local taxi drivers.
Nearby places
Kamakura housed Japan's feudal government and was the ancient capital 800 years ago. Now a peaceful cultural centre, it has numerous noteworthy temples and shrines, including Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, constructed by the Shogun in 1180. Farther south stands the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha of Kamakura. At 11.4 metres high, it is Japan's second highest Buddha statue; this national treasure can be entered. The bus journey takes 60 minutes. Mt. Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain, is a national emblem. Hakone is among Japan's best-known hot-spring resorts, providing not only hot-spring accommodation but also daily bathing…
Food and shopping
Yokohama has shopping districts for every style. Minato Mirai 21 is particularly rich in large shopping malls. Western Yokohama offers every kind of entertainment, music and fashion, alongside Yodobashi Camera and Big Camera electronics shops.
Money
Japan's currency is the yen. Denominations comprise ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 notes, plus ¥500, ¥100, ¥50, ¥10, ¥5 and ¥1 coins.
Japanese ATMs are becoming more useful, and most allow withdrawals from overseas accounts; post offices also provide them. Leading credit cards are accepted by most stores and restaurants in large urban areas, but travellers spending time in rural districts should carry enough cash. Japan remains strongly cash-based, and some shops, hotels and restaurants refuse credit cards regardless of location.
Do not tip, as it is considered rude!
Staying connected
Customer cafés providing free WiFi are appearing across the country. Prices differ: some coffee shops offer Wi-Fi at no cost, while others charge by the hour for cable-enabled PCs.
Opening Hours and
Japanese shops and department stores generally trade every day, including national holidays except New Year's, from 10:00 or 10:30am until 7:30 or 8:00pm. Certain speciality shops close on Sundays and national holidays. Department stores sometimes shut for one irregular day each week, but different closing days mean shoppers can always find an open store.
Japanese public holidays.