Once a small fishing village, Yokohama has blossomed into Japan's second largest city with a population of some 3.4 million.

One of Japan's major ports, encounters with various exotic cultures have resulted in a lifestyle and mentality that is unique to its citizens who are "curious and willing to accept" things new and foreign.

The Yamashita and Kannai districts contain a number of monuments reflecting the image of those days, while Chinatown continues to thrive and attract numerous visitors with its excellent foods and exotic atmosphere.

Accomodation

A wide range is available downtown in Sendai, from affordable business hotels to first-class city hotels.

In other tourist areas around the prefecture, especially at hot spring resorts, a stay at a ryokan is highly recommended to experience the traditional Japanese lifestyle.

Places of Interest:

Minato Mirai 21 : A modern section of the city which is littered with ultramodern hig-hrise buildings.

Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa Bunko Museum: On the second floor of a Japanese-style building overlooking a large pond is the collection of Kamakura era paintings.

Silk Museum: The Silk Museum is a delightful museum that portrays the role that silk has played in the history of Yokohama.

Zuisen-ji Temple: Established in 1327 by Kokushi Muso [1275-1351] a scholarly monk. The principal reasons for visiting are to enjoy the nice ocean view as it is located on a lonely hill overlooking the city and to enjoy both the Zen and flower gardens.

Wild Blue Yokohama: Wild Blue Yokohama is an indoor theme park that celebrates the "wild" blue sea, featuring several large pools, an immense seascape, and many restaurants.

Grand Mall Park: Grand Mall Park should perhaps more accurately be called the Grand Mall Parks because it is the general name given to three smaller "parks" in the centre of the Minato Mirai 21 complex.

Where To Eat:

Baikotei: This restaurant is truly a historical treasure. It opened 78 years ago, survived the war, and is still going strong. It's now being run by the daughter of the original owners, and she's been serving Yoshoku, or 'western' cuisine, to happy Yokohama customers for over 60 years.

Tenkichi: A Japanese Kaiseki restaurant, Tenkichi serves dishes in a casual Japanese-style atmosphere.

Chinatown: 160 restaurants in this area in the midst of the Chinese community.

General Point:

Yokohama has been influenced by the huge numbers of foreigners attracted to it. There are a host of american, indian and european restaurants available. Fast food in the form of burgers and pizzas is also common.

To the World Cup stadium :

To Yokahama Stadium: Go from the JR Yokohama Station to JR Shin-Yokohama Station which represents a ten minute journey. Then travel to JR Kozukue Station and the World Cup stadium is a five minute walk away.