Yokohama Chinatown ［横浜中華街］

Yokohama Chinatown Yokohama Chinatown

Yokohama Chinatown is the entire area of Yamashita-cho in Yokohama where many Chinese or people of Chinese heritage live. Along with the ones in Kobe and Nagasaki, it is considered as one of Japan's three great Chinatowns. In a 500 meter square area, more than 600 Chinese restaurants and general merchandise stores stand next to each other. Indeed, this is one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world in terms of the number of stores.

Yokohama Chinatown has a long history spanning over 140 years. Since the Yokohama Port was opened in 1859, many Chinese people from Canton and Shanghai moved to this area which flourished through their trading businesses. This is considered to be the start of this Chinatown.
Today, more than 230 Chinese restaurants are found here and about half of them serve Cantonese cuisine. Still however, many other varieties of Chinese food can be enjoyed as well including Shanghai, Szechuan, and Beijing dishes.

Because many of the people working here are Chinese, you will hear them speaking in their native language at the respective establishments. Ten Pailous (traditional Chinese archway-like architectural forms) stand in the town and the outside and inside of the stores as well as their signs are decorated in Chinese style mainly using the colors of red, blue, yellow, green, and gold.

In the town, there is also the Kanteibyo that enshrines Guan Yu, the famous hero from the Three Kingdoms period, and this very elaborate structure is extremely eye-catching even in Chinatown's colorful setting. Additionally, during the Chinese New Year in February, the entire Chinatown is decorated in colorful illuminations and the lion and dragon dances are performed as well. Indeed, many people come to visit to celebrate this event in grand style.

Yokohama Chinatown offers authentic Chinese cuisine while products unique to China can be found at the general merchandise and grocery stores, letting you experience a truly energetic Chinese atmosphere.

There also are many food stalls in front of the stores selling dim-sum, sweets, and food products. Taking out pork buns and drinks with black tapioca and enjoying them as you stroll through the streets is perhaps the way to have fun in this town.