An Amazing Half Day to Yokohama from Tokyo

Yokohama is home to the best Nissin Cup Noodle Museum and the biggest Chinatown in all of Japan! It’s a great little escape to the country’s second-largest city, with a small-city feel.

Yokohama started out as a small fishing village, but everything changed in 1859. Its port was opened to foreign trade near the end of Japan’s period of isolation. The city quickly grew into one of Japan’s largest international trade hubs. This brought Western influences that helped shape its architecture, cuisine, and culture.

Over time, Yokohama became known for its modern waterfront, international atmosphere, and major shipping industry. Although much of the city was damaged during the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II, it was rebuilt into a vibrant port city.

If leaving from Tokyo Station, it takes about 30-45 minutes to reach Yokohama Station. Times will vary depending on which station is closest to you. From Kayabacho, it took me an hour and 15 minutes.

Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama is an interactive museum all about the history of instant ramen and its inventor. Momofuku Ando created the world’s first instant noodles, Chicken Ramen, in 1958. Located in Yokohama’s Minato Mirai waterfront area, the museum features fun exhibits, multimedia displays, and hands-on activities that celebrate his creativity and innovation.

A downloadable audio guide is available for iPhone and Android. I would highly recommend it, especially if you can’t read Japanese. They also have guides available for rent. This guide includes a dubbing of the 15-minute film if you’d rather listen than read the English subtitles. It appears to sync up and know when the movie is playing. I only discovered this after watching the movie, but I had no issues keeping up with the subtitles.

There are two hands-on activities for an extra fee: making your own cup ramen and learning to make chicken ramen. You get to take your ramen home, which is cool if you have baggage space. As a backpacker, I do not, so I skipped this bit.

I hope you didn’t eat lunch before visiting! The Noodle Bazaar on the top floor features eight types of noodles from around the world! At only ¥500 each, you can try multiple kinds but save room for dessert. They have chicken ramen and cup-noodle-flavored ice cream if you want to feel adventurous! I tried the cup noodle ice cream, which was literally noodle-flavored ice cream with instant ramen toppings.

The gift shop has some super cute souvenirs if you want to check it out. I picked up some portable, reusable chopsticks!

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, locally called Aka-Renga Soko, is a historic waterfront landmark in the Minato Mirai area. It comprises two red-brick buildings built in 1911 and 1913. The buildings were originally used as customs facilities for the Port of Yokohama and even survived the Great Kanto Earthquake. This is thanks to their strong brick-and-iron construction! After being restored, they reopened in 2002 as a popular shopping, dining, and cultural destination.

The buildings are rather impressive, and between them, you can see where cruise ships dock. It’s also a place where they hold festivals! During my visit, they hosted Frühlingfest (Spring Festival in German)!

Inside each building are a variety of shops if you’d like to pick up something local. There are also restaurants and other treats!

Yamashita Park is a scenic waterfront park in Yokohama. It’s known for its beautiful views of Yokohama Bay, the Minato Mirai skyline, and colorful rose gardens. Opened in 1930, the park was created from debris left by the Great Kanto Earthquake. It has since become a popular spot for relaxing walks, picnics, and sightseeing.

It’s really beautiful to walk by when going from the Red Brick Warehouse to Chinatown! However, feel free to venture in more.

Yokohama Chinatown, located in Naka Ward, is the largest Chinatown in Japan and one of the biggest in the world. It’s even larger than the famous Chinatowns in Kobe and Nagasaki! It was established in 1859, after Yokohama’s port opened to international trade. The area has since grown into a lively district with more than 600 businesses, including countless Chinese restaurants, shops, and temples.

The neighborhood is known for its colorful atmosphere, traditional paifang gates, and popular temples like Kanteibyo Temple and Yokohama Mazu Miao.

Just taking a stroll through the different streets and alleyways seriously makes you feel like you’ve been transported to China. The aromas from the different booths are incredible, so it’s a great spot to grab dinner!

Only being about an hour outside of Tokyo, this is a very easy and great day trip! My main draw here was the Cup Noodle Museum, which was definitely the highlight! However, the charm of Yokohama is very special. I loved being so close to a port and seeing the largest Chinatown in the country! You can absolutely spend an entire day here if you want. There’s so much more to do, including an amusement park, but it was closed during my visit. Absolutely recommend visiting Yokohama!