Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown is the largest chinatown in Japan, located in Yamashita-cho near Yamashita park. There are approximately 200 restaurants and 300 shops in the town of just 500 square meters. You can eat various kinds of Chinese cousine such as Cantonese, Shanghai, Beijin, Szechuan and Taiwanese in the town.
When Japan opened a seaport in Yokohama in 1859, foreign diplomats and traders came to Yokohama from Shanghai or Hong Kong to station in consulates or to start a business. They brought Chinese as their servants with them because they needed someone who understand western culture and can communicate with Japanese. Many Chinese with skills like cooks, tailors and painters began to arrive after shipping companies inagurated liners between Yokohama and Shangahai and Hong Kong. Most of them were Cantonese. They began to
live in the area on the west side of the foreign settlement, built a school, a temple and a commerce assosiation and created a community. That is the origin of Yokohama Chinatown.
The majority of businesses was grocers. Restaurants were a few until before the World War II. After the war ended in 1945, large part of Yokohama central area was occupied by the U.S. forces and many bars and restaurants for the troopes were opened in the town. Until 1955, the town had been called "Nanking town".(Nanking is a city in China.) However,since after they erected the gate, which carries the name of "Chinatown"(see the picture on the right), the town came to be known as it is now. After Ishikawa-cho Station of the Negishi Line opened, the access to the town was improved, many visitors began to visit the town. In 1972, Japan normalized relationship with China and China became the craze. Those events drove the transformation of the town from a town of chinese into a town of Chinese restaurants and its culture. In 2004, Motomachi-Chukagai(Motomachi-Chinatown) Station opened. Yokohama Chinatown has been connected to Shibuya station in just 30 minutes by the Minato Mirai Line. On March, 2006, Ma Zhu Miao temple was built near the south gate.
In Chinatown, there are many events and festivals throughout the year such as Spring festival in February, Ma Zhu Miao festival in March, The birth day of Kwan Tai in August, Moon festival in October and Food festival in November.
Map of Yokohama Chinatown
Places to visit
[Kwan Tai Temple]
[Ma Zhu Miao Temple]
The Ma Zhu Miao Temple is a Chinese temple of Ma Zhu, the goddess of Sea. Ma Zhu is the Taoist goddess of the sea, and became later that of Journey, who protects fishermen and sailors from a sea disaster. She is extremely popular among the Taiwanese,the Fusianese, the Cantonese, and the Vietnamese and worshipped by approximately 200million of people across 26 countries. Read full story...
[Lunch at weekdays]
