Yokohama is called “the city of firsts,” as it was the place that received so many new things from the rest of the world after Japan opened up to international trade in the 19th century. It was also the first area where a foreign settlement existed, which has a legacy that lives on in Western style houses, churches, a foreign cemetery, and so much more. Yokohama was a thriving port for many decades. The great ships of the world docked and unloaded goods into facilities like the Red Brick Warehouse, and which were merchandised in the thriving shops of Motomachi. Ocean going vessels brought visitors from all over the world to Osanbashi Pier, and took Japanese delegations abroad to study the ways of the West. But Yokohama is not just about history, it is also about the present, as home to multinational corporations and a vibrant cosmopolitan culture. It is also about the future, as demonstrated in the spectacular structures in the Minatomirai area on Yokohama Bay, and literally on display at the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum nearby.
Minatomirai, built on the former site of the Yokohama shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, as seen from inside the Hikawa Maru, which was constructed and launched there.Bridge of the Hikawa Maru, now a floating museum and living legacy of Yokohama’s rich maritime culture. Her maiden voyage from Yokohama to Seattle and Vancouver occurred in May 1930.One of four air compressors purchased from the United States when Yokohama Dock Company, Ltd. (later Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) entered into the shipbuilding business.Now monuments near the waterfront, the compressors powered machines and tools in the dockyard for nearly 65 years.Osanbashi Pier today, a functioning work of art in wood and perspective, which serves cruise ships from all over Japan as well as abroad.Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse buildings, which once housed goods from abroad before being distributed all over Japan.A view from Osanbashi Pier. Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse buildings, now a shopping center and site of seasonal festivals, and just a brief stroll from Minatomirai, contrast the past with the present and future.A view from Osanbashi Pier. The Hikawa Maru is permanently moored at Yamashita Park, built from the rubble of a 1923 earthquake that flattened buildings and destroyed Yokohama’s beloved waterfront Bund.Retired in 1960, after carrying 25,000 passengers on 238 trans-Pacific voyages.Burmeister & Wain 11,000-hp diesel engines.During World War II the Hikawa Maru was pressed into service as a hospital ship, and after the war repatriated soldiers and civilians. Of the 26 Japanese passenger ships in the 10,000-ton class in prewar service, only the Hikawa Maru was not sunk.Hikawa Maru passengers traveled in style, including Charlie Chaplin, who boarded the vessel for a visit to Japan in 1932, when his film City Lights was enjoying worldwide popularity.Site of the NYK Maritime Museum, near the Yokohama waterfront. NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) was the first Japanese shipping company to start a deep-sea liner service, and to this day remains at the center of Japan’s maritime history.
A Blend of Cultures
Yokohama boasts one of the largest Chinatowns in the world, with a history that dates back some 150 years. Today the area is a popular tourist attraction, which lures people from all over Japan to sample a feast of sights, sounds, fragrances, flavors and wares. It is positioned between the port and the “Bluff,” on top of which grew a settlement of Westerners who made Japan home, built houses that contrasted sharply with local structures, engaged in trade and a variety of businesses, and who influenced the growth of Yokohama as a completely unique part of Japan that benefitted from the blending of a rich mix of cultures.
Atop the Bluff overlooking the bay was where Yokohama’s foreign residents began settling from 1866. Motomachi, nestled below, grew into a thriving market where dealers in curios, carpets, rugs, oilcloth, matting, wicker trunks, postcards, hardware, Western spirits, baked goods and furniture, served the community. Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "100 stone steps at Motomachi, Yokohama." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1907 – 1918.Yokohama Station, opened on June 12, 1872, reduced the time from the center of Tokyo to less than an hour, and thus greatly contributed to the prosperity of Yokohama. Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Yokohama Station." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1907 - 1918.Now made up of modern high-rise office buildings, numerous spires and towers once created a distinctive skyline that welcomed sailors and visitors arriving by sea, beckoning them to sample the charms of Yokohama beneath. Three such buildings, still visible today, were nicknamed the Jack, Queen and King.The Port Opening Memorial Hall, nicknamed the “Jack” by seafarers, was completed in 1917. Famous foreign and Japanese musicians and opera singers performed on its stage. U.S. Occupational Forces used it as a movie theater.The Yokohama Customhouse, dubbed the “Queen,” was built in 1934. Its Moorish dome is a distinctive landmark of the waterfront. Today it processes roughly 6.7 trillion yen’s worth of exports and 4.2 trillion yen’s worth of imports.The Kanagawa Prefectural Government Building, dubbed the “King” due to its stately crown, –shaped tower was completed in 1928 to commemorate the coronation of Emperor Showa. It became a model for prefectural buildings elsewhere in Japan.
The Future on Display
As a cultural haven, Yokohama is home to a variety of museums that celebrate the arts, culture and much more. One of these is the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum, a fascinating tour of Japan’s industrialization, achievements in the development of high technology, and profound contributions to the sciences. Here the curious of all ages can immerse themselves in large, hands-on exhibits, scale models of vehicles, vessels, aircraft and rockets, and even virtually pilot a commercial jet aircraft as well as a helicopter simulator.
Yokohama of today also represents the future. The Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum is a testimony to how great minds are building on humankind’s legacy of scientific and technological discovery.High concepts and deep technologies are presented in a variety of ways that excite the imagination, inform the mind, and spark a sense of wonder.School children on educational field trips create a lively atmosphere. Exhibits are simple enough for adults to comprehend!Intricate murals celebrate a timeline of human achievements in aviation as well as space faring technologies.The history of great space age achievements.A mock-up of the cockpit of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) features a simulator with responsive controls and wrap-around of computer generated images to create a realistic sensation of piloting the aircraft.Actual rocket engines are on display.Replica of the interior of Kibo, Japan’s module on the International Space Station.Replica of the Shinkai 6500 Deep Submergence Research Vehicle, a manned submersible that can dive to depths of 6,500 meters, deeper than any other manned submersible for academic research.Scale model aircraft in the History of Vehicles. Ships and electric trains are also on display.Thought provoking exhibits.Exquisite model ships, aircraft and much more are available for purchase in the gift shop.
