Yes, You Should Visit Yokohama | The Complete Yokohama Travel Guide

Yes, You Should Visit Yokohama | The Complete Yokohama Travel Guide

yokohama is Japan’s second most populated city at around 3.7 million people And this city is often dwarfed by the nearby most populated city Tokyo But why should you go to Yokohama there’s only one way to find out Let’s take a look at Yokohama
We’ll be stopping at Shin Yokohama [Music] Hey guys Wong here and today we are going to dive into Yokohama and all that the city has to offer and why you may want to add Yokohama to your Japan itinerary Yokohama is Japan’s second most populated city after Tokyo with Osaka coming in third Even though it is the second most populated city it is often overshadowed by both Tokyo and Osaka For that reason the crowds in Yokohama tend to be much smaller than the super crowded cities of Tokyo and Osaka And while Yokohama isn’t quite a hidden gem as it is glaringly right there as you pass by from Tokyo to Osaka on the bullet train it is often overlooked And with a roughly 1-hour train ride from Tokyo it is possible to do a day trip from Tokyo to Yokohama or vice versa All that being said let’s dive into the things to do in Yokohama First let’s go to the Cup Noodle Museum Located in a very boxy looking building this interactive museum is designed to inspire creativity Like in the mind of Mobile Fuku Ando the founder of Nissen Food Products and the one who invented chicken ramen which was the world’s first instant ramen This came about as Japan was facing food shortages in 1958 And after observing people in long lines for ramen from street vendors and wanting to solve this problem Mom Fuku and created chicken ramen which was a convenient but initially expensive way for people to make ramen from home easily All you needed to do was add hot water He created this through a lot of trial and error in his backyard shed which there is a replica of in the museum In 1971 he invented cup noodle which is now a college student staple You can make your own chicken ramen by going through the entire process of kneading spreading steaming and seasoning the wheat flour and then drying it with the flash frying method You can also create your very own cup noodle package that you can personalize and then pick your own noodle soup flavor such as curry seafood tomato or the classic chicken flavor and add toppings like green onions fishcake corn egg kimchi and much more to make the cup noodle truly one of a kind There are many other activities and things to see here from the more informative museum side of things to the cup noodles park which takes you through the virtual journey of being in a huge noodle factory from the manufacturing process to shipping them in essentially a big play area which is great for kids In fact this whole museum was designed to help kids gain creativity and inspiration like Momo Fuko ando And this is a great place to go if you are bringing kids to Japan Lastly gain some inspiration from the Noodles Bazaar where you can try many different kinds of noodles from around the world like Mobile Fukuando did while traveling to get ideas and inspiration After the Cup Noodle Museum go across the street to check out Cosmo World and the worldbreaking largest ferris wheel with a clock The Cosmo Clock 21 It was the world’s largest ferris wheel when it was opened in 1989 at 353 feet or 17 1/2 m It was rebuilt in 1999 with an increased height of 369 ft or 112 1/2 m and offers a beautiful view of the Yokohama skyline It takes around 15 minutes to complete a full rotation and costs $1,000 yen or around $7 to ride This is probably the most noticeable attraction with its massive size and light shows throughout the night but it still is on the tamer side of things If you want a real thrill ride the most famous roller coaster at Cosmo World is the diving coaster Vanish With a top speed of 46 mph or 75 kmh this roller coaster takes you on a high-speed ride as you wind through its various drops turns and a double helix with the main attraction when you vanish down a drop into an underwater tunnel This roller coaster is iconic especially the underwater tunnel So if you are here give it a try It does cost 900 yen or around $6 US to ride There are other rides like the Log Flume Cliff Drop and plenty of kids attractions like the Mirror Adventure Maze and plenty of arcade games and carnival games For 700 yen or around $5 you can ride the spinning coaster which was Japan’s first ride installed on the roof of a building As you ride this ride it spins as you go throughout the track adding a new layer of insanity to this thrill ride There is no entrance fee to enter Cosmo World so you can walk in and enjoy the area without having to pay anything but the rides themselves are all pay per ride This means as far as amusement parks go this is one of the cheapest amusement parks as the rides and attractions range from 100 yen to 1,000 yen or.7 to $7 Next let’s go to the landmark tower This tower in and of itself is quite a landmark as it is quite distinguishable and iconic along the Yokohama skyline This building was completed in 1993 and was the tallest building in Japan until 2014 and had the world’s fastest elevators until 2004 Currently it is the third tallest building in Japan at 9971 ft or 296 m and its elevators are the fastest in Japan traveling at a rate of around 45 kmph or 28 mph and bringing you from the base to the 69th floor in under 40 seconds where you will be greeted with the sky guarded observation deck which will give you an unmatched ached view of the Yokohama skyline There is a hotel inside of the building itself the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel though it is currently under some major renovations and is set to reopen in 2028 So if you were planning on staying there you may need to postpone that for a bit And at the base of the building you can find the landmark plaza where you can shop amongst the five stories surrounding a large atrium which gives the mall a beautiful aesthetic The mall has done some collabs with shows and games like Dragon Quest in which the slimes showed up around the mall in 2024 and Attack on Titan in 2021 Who knows what you’ll see there next Now let’s move on to the largest claw machine arcade in the world which is surprisingly not in Akihabara or Tokyo This is Third Planet also called Sarpura Yokohama Play Town which holds the Guinness World Record for having the most claw crane game machines at a single venue which is 555 This is a pretty cool place conceptually and if you are looking to win arcade machines in Japan I have a guide on winning these arcade games and more So check that out This arcade specifically I have not been to And so I can’t speak personally from experience but from what I have been reading about online it seems that it is on the harder side to win things especially bigger plushies or anime figures It seems to be less in your favor than other places in Japan So if your goal is to win lots of crane games you may want to be careful here The arcade is inside of the Northport Mall So there are plenty of other things to do inside of the mall itself like shopping for clothes souvenirs and even go rock climbing Yeah there’s a rock climbing wall here at a place called Climbing Bum And while the gym is mostly bouldering it does have auto ballets if you wanted to do some top rope but don’t have a blay partner After climbing you may want to grab a bite to eat And I hope that you aren’t sick of ramen yet from the Cup Noodle Museum because the next spot is the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum This place aesthetically is awesome It was founded on March 6th 1994 as the world’s first ramen themed amusement park The goal of this place was to allow you to try ramen flavors from all over Japan in one place You can also learn about the history and culture of ramen in the museum area You can take the ramen making experience class to make your own ramen noodles as well The themecape of this place is the streets of Japan in 1958 Sound familiar that’s right This was the year that instant ramen was invented Write 1958 in the comments if you remember that from before The sign outside of the museum is a bowl of ramen with a pair of floating chopsticks holding the noodles as it moves And it is quite iconic So don’t forget to take a photo or a video with this sign The museum does have an entrance fee of $450 yen or around $3 per person with children and seniors being 100 yen If you are a ramen lover this is a must The portions here are a bit small assuming that you don’t order the large size to allow you to try different ramens from different places without getting too full Just keep in mind that the museum itself is not huge and this place does get very crowded So if you want to avoid the crowds and be able to try lots of ramens without waiting in tons of long lines you might want to avoid peak meal times on weekends especially unless you don’t mind the wait Moving along we have the Yokohama Hakajima Sea Paradise which is more than just your typical aquarium Opened in 1993 this complex houses an aquarium amusement park restaurants and a hotel all encompassing a whole island In this aquarium you will find the main attraction the dolphin shows You will also find beluga whales sea turtles walruses sunfish and many more The hotel here is the Sea Paradise Inn and it is not luxurious but if you plan on doing a lot of park activities or have kids that want to spend a lot of time here it may be worth looking into but otherwise I would pass on it As far as rides go you can go up the Sea Paradise Tower which is not a thrill ride It is a scenic tower that slowly rotates as it ascends and descends It’s just an observation deck If you are looking for something with a bit more of a drop then check out Surf Coaster Leviathan It’s not the most insane roller coaster but it is the only one of its kind in Japan that extends out and over the ocean and has some pretty unique elements mainly its three helix structures two of which are descending and one of which is ascending with the main descending helix being a staggering 900° or almost three full loops And for being built in 1993 this roller coaster is surprisingly smooth with no massive drops So it can be more enjoyable for people especially with the scenic ocean views around and sometimes beneath you Now we will move on to Chinatown Now why am I talking about Chinatown here of all places because this is the largest Chinatown in Japan At 46,000 reviews on Google this Chinatown has more reviews than Nij Castle the Shabuya Crossing Scramble or the Imperial Palace in Tokyo It is a lively area filled with restaurants and shops and decorated with lanterns with lots of food options here like dim sum dumplings and snacks like tanhulu While this isn’t a mustsee in Japan if you are in Yokohama and you have some time to explore and want to enjoy some good food this could be a fun stop If you are looking to relax after a long trip filled with walking go to the Yokohama Mano Club This is a semi-natural onen And I say that because water is brought in from an onen or a hot spring as there is no direct hotring source here This spot actually just reopened June 24th 2025 after completing renovations giving you even more reason to go check it out They offer many ways to relax here from private baths that you can rent various onens and relaxation pools relaxation rooms and more There is also a restaurant here with plenty of good food to enjoy while you relax as well You can also rent a yucata or a summer kimono to wear during your time at the hotring to add a bit more fun to your relaxation time According to their website if you have tattoos you will have to cover them here Just FYI If you want some greenery go and check out the Sanki Garden This is a beautiful lush garden once entirely the home of Tomaru Har a very wealthy silk merchant It was open to the public in 1906 It is a very scenic park with picturesque views and Tommy Tarohara’s collection of historic buildings from all over Japan That’s right He collected a handful of buildings from different regions in Japan and put them all here in this garden So you will be able to see the 17 structures here in the garden 10 of which are nationally designated as important cultural properties One of the most distinguished and oldest structures in the garden is the threestory pagota of the old Tomioji temple which was abandoned This is usually on the quieter side of things as far as tourists go so it could be a fairly tranquil spot to just get away from the craziness of the city Before we dive into our last attraction a few bonus things If you are into cars especially Nissan the Nissan Motor Global headquarters is in Yokohama and the showroom may be worth visiting for you as it showcases a lot of their cars So go and check that out Also one more bonus one for the train lovers out there or if you have kids that enjoy trains or museums the KQ Museum is located at the KQ headquarters in Yokohama The museum itself has plenty of trains to see and some train simulations that you can drive as well So this could be a cool stop especially for the kids or for the train enthusiasts You’ll probably recognize the name from the Kiku line that runs through Tokyo Lastly if you want to experience Yokohama from arguably the most unique and best angle take a boat ride around Tokyo Bay in the comfort of a covered boat There is an open section of the boat for those of you who want to live life on the edge The open area is also better for photos especially during really sunny days or at night where the glare on the windows can be an issue There are a few cruising options First off the Sea Bass Tour which is a boat designed for scenic viewing You can take the illumination cruise where for 3,000 yen or roughly $20 US you will be taken around various photo spots along the bay to get the best views of Yokohama and some of its most famous attractions like the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel the Landmark Tower and the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse amongst many other things Alternatively there is also the Kawasaki Ultra Factory Night Cruise where you will be taken through a factory tour by boat with a guide narrating the journey as you go This factory cruise costs $4,500 yen or around $31 and will allow you to get up close with the industrial side of Yokohama as you get to witness the smoke stacks iron buildings and breathe in the smells of the industrial area all up close Lastly if you want something a bit fancier than the Sea Bass Cruise then go ahead and check out the Marine Rouge Cruise For this you can opt between a 90minute lunch cruise a 60inute afternoon cruise a 120 minute dinner cruise or a 90inute twilight cruise The cheapest cruise fair comes in at 10,700 yen or around $74 And the most expensive meal option comes in at $19,100 yen or around $132 Either way you are getting a fancy dinner aboard a scenic cruise that will leave you with memories of Yokohama to last a lifetime That’s it for Japan’s second largest city And while often overlooked compared to Tokyo and Osaka it still does offer some great attractions to see and do What are your thoughts on Yokohama let me know in the comments section down below and I will see you guys in the next one [Music]

Yokohama has a lot to offer and is very convenient to get to from Tokyo. Here’s why you should make a day trip or even stay a bit in the second most populated city in Japan.
There are plenty of iconic things to see and do and lots of good food especially ramen. Lot’s and lots of ramen.
Go and check out Yokohama on your next Japan trip!

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Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
0:25 – Yokohama
1:20 – The Most Famous Noodles in a Cup
2:34 – Create Your Own Noodles
3:40 – The Record Breaking Park
4:35 – World Famous Coaster
6:04 – The Most Iconic Landmark
7:18 – Collab Mall
7:45 – The Largest Claw Machine Arcade in the World
8:56 – Rock Climbing
9:14 – Ramen Museum
11:06 – Sea Paradise
12:06 – Triple Helix Ocean Coaster
12:58 – Amazing Food Area
13:43 – Time to Relax
14:45 – Greenery in the City
15:53 – Bonus Item 1: Cars
16:10 – Bonus Item 2: Trains
16:41 – Time to Cruise
17:13 – SeaBass Tour
18:15 – Classy Cruises
18:59 – Final Thoughts

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