If you are a traveler and visiting Japan, the chances are that you’ve heard about Yokohama. But what are the best things to do in Yokohama? While being the second-largest city in Japan, Yokohama is a must-visit city with its numerous tourist attractions. You can find so many tourist attractions that you are interested in, should that be kid-friendly places, art and culture, museums, natural spots, parks, or aquariums.
What Are The Best Things to Do in Yokohama?
Today we will give you some suggestions of the places you may want to visit in Yokohama.
Visit Unique Museums in Yokohama
Visiting museums that are unique or weird in some sense is always an interesting experience to try as you never know how impressed you can be. As you may be familiar, there are many unique museums in Japan, such as the Sand museum, Parasitological museum, Origami museum, Tokyo Trick art museum, etc. There are several unique museums in Yokohama as well.
Cup Noodles Museum
Did you know that the world’s first instant ramen was invented in Japan? Momofuku Ando, known as ‘the father of instant ramen’ and the founder of Nissin Food Products, wanted to make ramen people could prepare at home by adding water. With that goal in mind, he invented Chicken Ramen in 1958 dubbed as “magic ramen” and Cup Noodles in 1971, both gained instant popularity.
The visionary and passion of Momofuku Ando and the creative thinking that he valued became a central concept for the Cup Noodles Museum that you can witness and experience when visiting the museum. You can try to make your own Chicken Ramen by hand in the Chicken Ramen Factory, or create your original cup noodle packages in the My Cupnoodles Factory, then have your kids or little ones play in the Cupnoodles park, see the Instant Noodles History Cube, Momofuku Theater, Creative Thinking Boxes, Cupnoodles Marble Coaster and other sections of the museum.
Why visit the museum: making noodles on your own, getting insight into the instant noodles’ history
Entrance fee: prices differ on each section
Hara Model Railway Museum
Yokohama was one the first cities to be opened to foreign trade in 1859, and that’s a place where Japan’s first railway started. Like the Cup Noodles Museum, the Hara Model Railway Museum showcases a collection of model trains created and owned by Nobutaro Hara. Opened to the public in 2012, the museum is considered to be the largest in the world.
Hara’s models stand out because they:
- Recreate cars from Japan, Europe, the United States, and other places of the globe
- Recreate real trains
You can see different kinds of railways simply by visiting the Hara Model Railway Museum.
Why visit the museum: models of worldwide trains, collection of approx. 1,500 cars
Entrance fee:
Adults- 1,000¥
Students- 700¥
Children- 500¥
Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum
If you are eager to put new skills into practice and like science/technology museums, then we suggest you visit the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum functioning since 1994. The museum is organized into different zones representing different themes – LAND, SEA, SKY, and SPACE – and into different exhibits and activity corners, such as Virtual TourStation, the Science Plaza, and Kids Ground.
Use the museum guide to learn about what you can do when visiting the museum.
Why visit the museum: science experiments, workshops
Entrance fee:
Adults- 500¥
Students- 300¥
Children- 200¥
Yokohama Doll Museum
Why not return to your childhood and explore the fascinating world of dolls when visiting Yokohama? Yokohama Doll Museum was established in 1986 when Hideko Oono donated a large collection of dolls.
Dolls from over a hundred countries, including indigenous dolls and Japanese traditional dolls, are exhibited in the museum.
Walking amidst hundreds of dolls looking at you may seem creepy for some people but it is certainly an experience to try when visiting Japan.
Why visit the museum: maritime history explained through the dolls, dolls from the 20th century
Entrance fee:
Adults- 400¥
Students- 200¥
Children- 200¥
Explore China Dishes And Goods in Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown, known as Yokohama Chukagai, is the largest Chinatown in Japan, hosting more than 600 Chinese stores and restaurants. Enter Chinatown through its four gates and have a look at guardian deities enshrined in each of the gates that are believed to bring peace to the town and prosperity to the trade. Kanteibyo, a temple in the center of Chinatown, is another example of stunning architecture to visit, dedicated to the Chinese deity of good business and prosperity.
Also, try delicious Chinese street food (Beijing cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine) and buy some Chinese souvenirs.
Why visit: a glimpse into Chinese culture, Chinese food, vegan and vegetarian food
Enjoy the Parks and Zoos of Yokohama
Enjoy the nature, land, and sea animals at the zoos and parks of Yokohama.
Nogeyama Zoological Gardens
First opened as a zoo, Nogeyama is the garden and only centrally located zoo within Yokohama. You can take a break from the busy and loud crowds, stop by the zoo to see 100 hundred different species of animals and if visiting with your children, let them play in the Nakayoshi area, where they can freely interact with smaller animals.
Why visit: 100 species of animals, interacting with smaller children, Red Pandas
Entrance fee: free
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise presents a complex of attractions where you can spend your time productively. You do not have to go far to dine in the restaurants, shop, and visit the largest aquariums and attractions.
Aquariums you can visit:
- Umi Farm
- Fureai Lagoon
- Aqua Museum
- Dolphin Fantasy
Some of the attractions: Marine Cart Fantasia, Surf coaster leviathan, Aqua Ride II, Viking, Blue Sky Climbing Rock’ n Rock, Red Baron, Drunken Barrel, etc.
Why visit: attractions, aquariums, shopping malls, and hotels located near each other
Entrance fee: free
Have fun at Yokohama Cosmo World Amusement Park
If you favor a rush of adrenaline, Cosmo World is the right place for you to visit. Despite a rather compact area, Cosmo World offers various rides and attractions suitable for the whole family, friends, or dates. The park is divided into three zones: the Kids Carnival Zone, Burano Street Zone, Wonder Amuze Zone.
There is no entrance fee, so you can check out the attractions first; however, if you want to ride on many attractions, the park offers different discounts that will also free you from waiting in long lines. Visit the park’s website for detailed information about the prices.
What Are Your Favourite Things to Do in Yokohama?
We hope you can find a place to visit from our list of suggestions!
Don’t forget to share your impression of Yokohama!
Bella,
Uzbekistan
Also, check out our article about What to Do in Harajuku:
