Yokohama

Hi there, I am travelling to Yokohama next month and would need you help as to the sequence of the attractions and the things that I sho1. instant noodle museum 2. Kirin museum 3. Chinatown 4. Ramen museum 5. Any gardens/parks you recommend that is close by to my itinerary

I suppose you are coming from Tokyo side?

If i were to suggest, most probably 1st stop visit the Kirin Beer Factory, then continue your way to Chinatown, from there u can walk towards Cup Noodles Museum, where you will pass by the Yamashita Park, the pier and Red Brick Warehouses.

Take the blue line from Sakuragicho Station to Ramen Museum before you end your day.

It's not that close but is easily the best garden in the Kanto region is Sankein Garden. It will take 2-3 hours with public transport to get here and see the garden

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3205.html

I would arrange the day to end it in Chinatown. Chinatown doesn�ft close other attractions do. And if actually gets more lively in the evening.

The garden the PP proposes is superb, but needs its time. Maybe you can drop something else? Eg beer museums aren�ft unique to Japan or to Yokohama.

Enjoy your trip to Yokohama!

Sankeien is quite lovely, but will easily take up half a day. The tour at the Kirin Beer factory is good, but the english guides are limited.

I enjoyed the ramen museum too. That said, 'museum' is a strong word for a space with a few interesting relics, a gift shop and a bunch of small ramen outlets. There is any amount of good food in Yokohama, I'm not sure that the ramen museum necessarily adds to that, unless you are going to Shin Yokohama anyway or you really love ramen.

I like the Landmark Tower if it's a clear day-you can see right up into Tokyo Bay in one direction and out to Mt Fuji. Yamashita Park, along the waterfront, is very nice on a sunny day.

You probably need to decide what you're interested in and plan around that.

Have a wonderful time in Yokohama!

I've also gotta agree that Chinatown and Yamashita Park (both reasonably close to each other) looks at it's best after dark - when all of the other major sites are closed as has also been mentioned above.

Evelyntohle,

I realize that you're not necessarily focused on traditionally Japanese spots, and that you are aiming for extremely touristic and modern sites.

May I ask if you are coming to Yokohama for a day trip? And how much are you used to the train system in Greater Tokyo?

If I were you, I might just focus on the Yamashita Park and MM21 area, which is the harbor area that includes Cup Noodle Museum and Chinatown. These are all within walking distance, and there is even a nice overground pedestrian path that connects some of the spots while giving you a better picture.

Yamashita Park, which is right in front of China Town, is a nice Western-style harbor park from the 19th century. You may want to climb on top of Marine Tower, which is right in front of Yamashita Park. The view is very nice, and since it is not too high it won't be affected by cloudy weather.

Meanwhile, Kirin Beer Factory and Ramen Museum are both far from the above area, going to two separate directions. If you are staying overnight, you might want to add these to your itinerary. Or if you happen to be traveling on the Shinkansen, the Ramen Museum close to the Shinkansen train station would be a great place to stop by at as well as Cubic Plaza which is the Shinkansen train station building.

That looks like a pretty full day of sightseeing, but it's certainly doable. Logistically speaking it would make most sense to start at Kirin, then head down to Chinatown/Yamashita Koen and work your way up on foot to Minato-Mirai, and from there head over to Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, which is open until 10:30 or 11pm.

The beer factory tour takes about an hour, and it's interesting enough, although you might not appreciate the free beers at the end of the tour as much in the morning as you would for an afternoon tour. The tour is in Japanese, but there's plenty of written material in English you can look at while you go from exhibit to exhibit. You're technically inside the factory building, but you're really just going from museum exhibit to museum exhibit, not actually seeing the factory floor.

Between Chinatown and Minato Mirai there are a lot of interesting museums and other sites to see. I'd recommend the Hikawa Maru passenger ship, in the water next to Yamashita Park. (They're only open during the day, so I disagree with the advice to see Yamashita Park at night.) The Kanagawa Museum of Cultural History is pretty interesting, as is the Newspark newspaper museum, Bank Art Studio (if you like contemporary art), Osanbashi (for amazing architecture), and Red Brick Warehouse. Here are descriptions of most of these: https://whereintokyo.com/dbinx/ra-yoko.html

I'd say that the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum is worth visiting if you still have energy, and especially if you're still hungry. It's like a mini-theme park based on Tokyo/Yokohama urban life in the 1950s, so there's a lot more than just ramen shops and trinkets, and as I mentioned, they're open pretty late. If it had to skip anything it would probably be the Kirin Beer Factory, but you know what your own interests are better than anyone here giving you advice.

I'd just like to note that Ramen Museum and China Town are the 2 places in Yokohama that have become drastically Disney-land-y in the past few years. I hope you're not the type of people who would be discouraged by their new styles.

But again, it would be worth the visit if it's not too much of an effort for you, or if you can do something else along the way such as to visit other nearby sites.

Can some people explain to me how you know more about a city I lived in for 3 years?? (this is a good thing!)

The comment of stuff to do around Yamashita park during the day is also correct - but it's also nice to see the park at night. Could visiting at both times be a possibility?? (it's gotta be what you want to do though). One of the museums mentioned is also meant to be home to a mini North Korean sub as well I think

Another place with a killer view at night is the Harbor View Park if the weather is clear - it's not the nicest walk up there though and going up the escalators to America Yama Park at Motomachi Chugukai station will save you a couple a hundred stairs

I visited Sankeien this week - ended up spending about three/four hours there. It is a good garden/park and quite pretty, not sure it tops some of the other locations around Tokyo that I visit.
By public transport it is around 35 minutes from Sakuragicho station by bus. By train you can get there in 39 minutes from Tokyo station (to Negishi) and then 10 minute walk.

Second comment, while I like nostalgia, the ramen "museum" seems to be one of the worst places I've visited in Yokohama - pay to get in, queue for ages and then pay again for a pretty average ramen - much better ramen shops elsewhere in the city.

Sankeien definitely should be on your list. It is a superb garden.
https://goo.gl/QSBdAq

TOSHIBA Science Museum?
It is not Yokohama City, in Kawasaki.but 10 min from Yokohama Station.
http://toshiba-mirai-kagakukan.jp/en/
It is free of charge

Hi Everlyn,

The most popular attraction is the Yokohama Chinatown. It's famous for its variety of Chinese foods.

Yokohama�fs multicultural history is on display in the Yamate area, which includes the Harbor View Park and Motomachi shopping street. Yamashita Park lies along the waterfront, and grants access to the Hikawa Maru, a retired ocean liner converted into a museum.

If you're a foodie, you can't miss the Ramen Museum. It unfurls the history of ramen noodles, from its birth in China to modern instant meals. The museum includes nine restaurants that feature ramen from different areas of Japan. Another ramen museum, the Cup Noodles Museum, is located in the Minato Mirai District. Owned by the company that invented the instant noodles, the museum features hands-on exhibits that allow visitors to create and package their own instant ramen.

Yokohama is also a great destination for nature. Zoorasia is one of the largest zoos in Japan and features local as well as exotic species. One park that I recommend you is the Mitsuike-Koen. This public park features three man-made ponds surrounded by more than 1,500 1,600 cherry trees.

Maybe this travel guide about the city may interest you: https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/yokohama-travel-guide

Have a good time in Yokohama!