Red Brick Warehouse (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
On a recent day trip to Yokohama, the intention was to visit the Cup Noodles Museum dedicated to the history of the staple quick, inexpensive ramen cups. Unfortunately, my wife and I planned our visit the day before the museum would reopen after an extended closure for renovations. Bummer!
We didn’t let the small hiccup ruin our day and still managed to have a great time at the nearby iconic Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse.
Originally a storage and logistics compound used by U.S. Forces after WWII, the warehouse was returned to Japan in 1952 and is now a tourist attraction with eateries, shops and art galleries. The grounds also serve as a venue for events like Oktoberfest, Christmas Market and more.
From the outside, the multi-level red-brick buildings show their age, but on the inside, the lively atmosphere makes this a great spot for a date night or family outing.
On the first floor, there are many souvenir and snack shops selling a variety of items and sweets. On the upper floors, you’ll find a variety of nice restaurants. We had already enjoyed a great meal in Chinatown earlier, so we skipped. But, if you’re looking to wine and dine, there are many options worthy of making a reservation for.
Souvenirs and more souvenirs!
Granny Smith (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
We saw a lot of things for sale. Although nothing much out of the ordinary from your average tourist location, here are a couple of items worth mentioning:
Sake – I usually grab a bottle when I visit a place I enjoy. I found the bottles at the Japan Department Store on the first floor of Building 2 to be very affordable. Although I don’t drink alcohol, the bottle is a good memory (and bragging rights) to say I got it from my travels in Japan!
Honey – On the first floor of Building 1, in the Department 9 section, honey retailer chain SUGI Bee Honey has a branch. The store sells many flavored honey-based syrups and the samples we tried were out of this world. I narrowly escaped buying bottles of the Citrus and Muscat Grape Honey syrups.
Sugi Bee Garden (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
I wish we had come more prepared for a visit to the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, but it was a great last-minute place to visit. Although we did not get to explore noodles this time, we had a fun time walking through this piece of local history.
Things to know
Address: 1-1-1 Shinko, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0001
Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. 7 days a week.
Cash and cards are accepted.
Website: www.Yokohama-akarenga.jp (English available)
AloJapan.com