Monday, February 8, 2016

A Great Night View Spot Close To Tokyo, Yokohama Bay Area in Kanagawa Prefecture

The area around the Port of Yokohama (Yokohama-Kou) is one of the popular spots for a night view close to Tokyo. The Port of Yokohama has been a very prosperous port for commerce and there are many modern buildings for business and shopping as shown in the upper left hand side photo. 

However, the area is also a historic town since the Port of Yokohama is one of the first ports opened for foreign trade at the end of Samurai era. Japan closed its door from early 17th century to 1858 and the Port of Yokohama was opened for international trade in 1859. Therefore the area shows a strong influence of Western culture since opening of its ports and many historical Western style buildings remain today. The upper right hand side photo shows a historical building called "Former Yokohama-Shokin Bank Building" built in 1880. The building is Kanagawa Prefectural History Museum now and a nice historical atmosphere can be enjoyed at night. Many old Western residences are scattered in the area, as well.

In addition, near the Port of Yokohama, there is the biggest China Town in Japan called "Yokohama China Town (Yokohama Chuuka-Gai)" as shown in the lower two photos. There are lots of Chinese restaurants and shops and it is also known among Japanese as one of the famous sightseeing spots to enjoy exotic atmosphere. 

Thus people can enjoy mixed views of modern Japan, historical buildings, and exotic China Town in this area. Of course during daytime, it is also a nice and fun place to visit, but I think the night view of the area has a different beauty.

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