April 2, 2009
Open Season
Celebrating 150 years as the international face of Japan, Yokohama gets ready to greet the crowds
By Metropolis
Nature Scene
Phase two of the Y150 celebrations will take place in a massive nature sanctuary adjacent to Yokohama Zoorasia animal park, about 30 minutes from Yokohama station. Dubbed the Tsunagari no Mori, or “Forest of Connections,” the event space will host a variety of attractions focusing on the environment. Highlights include nature trails, a water park and Take no Unabara (“Sea of Bamboo”), billed as the largest bamboo structure in Japan. July 4-September 27.
Access: 15min by bus from Tsurugamine or Mitsukyo stns (Sotetsu line) or Nakayama stn (JR line/Yokohama subway). http://event.yokohama150.org
Local treasures
A pair of classic Yokohama specialties make for the perfect omiyage
Marie Wanibe
This old-school Western-style confectioner, established in 1924 on the historic Motomachi Shopping Street, offers a variety of original confections, including jam tarts, almond cookies and honey cake. But pride of place goes to the rum ball, a densely flavored globe of alcohol-soaked, raisin-filled sponge cake covered with chocolate. ¥230 each, or ¥500 for a snazzy wrapped gift box.
2-86 Motomachi, Naka-ku. Tel: 045-641-0545. Open daily 10am-7:45pm, closed every third Wed. Nearest stn: Motomachi-Chukagai or JR Ishikawacho. http://kiku-ya.jp
Commonly regarded as having introduced shumai dumplings to Japan, Yokohama-based Kiyoken is the country’s best-known purveyor of dim sum. Kiosks bearing the company’s distinctive red and yellow logo can be found in major train stations and shopping centers throughout Kanto and beyond. Pick up a pack of six shumai (¥600), a bento (¥700), or a variety of gift sets from ¥1,050.
Behind the scenes
Glimpse a different side of the city at these locally renowned attractions
Courtesy of Nogeyama Zoo
Prior to the opening of the Zoorasia complex in 1999, Nogeyama Zoo was one of Yokohama’s premier tourist spots. These days, it serves as an appealing destination for local families and couples, the shabbiness of some of the exhibits compensated for by free admission and lack of crowds. For a relatively small-scale zoo, the lineup of animals is impressive: lions, giraffes, ostriches, penguins and, most popular of all, a trio of genki lesser pandas. Other highlights include a petting zoo and a bird sanctuary.
Access: JR Sakuragicho stn. Info: www.nogeyama-zoo.org.
While Yokohama puts on a pretty face for the Y150 festivities, the city’s unvarnished downtown can be found in the Isezakicho neighborhood, located near Kannai station (JR Keihin-Tohoku line). This retail district and youth hangout is equal parts Center-Gai and shitamachi, with a slightly seedy feel but tons of character. Like many old-time Japanese shopping streets, the central Isezakicho shotengai is feeling the pinch—its iconic Matsuzakaya depato recently closed—but the area has a vibe and authenticity unmatched by Yokohama’s newer, more polished districts.
Access: JR Kannai stn, Info: www.isezakicho.or.jp.
Located near popular attractions like the Pacifico Yokohama convention center and Intercontinental Hotel, Rinko Park offers a bucolic escape from the masses. This waterfront patch of green is a perfect picnicking spot, with lots of space bordered by a copse of trees. It also serves as a prime viewing spot for Yokohama Port’s annual fireworks celebrations in July. Bonus attraction: look for the quirky and colorful Fruit Tree sculpture by Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa, a holdover from the 2001 Yokohama Triennale art fair.
Access: Minato-Mirai stn (Minatomirai line) or JR Sakuragicho stn.
Chow down
Tuckered out from all that sightseeing? Yokohama restaurants are offering special Y150 meal deals
Courtesy of Le Petit Courage
A one-room restaurant run by a local chef with experience in Tokyo and the south of France, Le Petit Courage celebrates the big anniversary with a ¥5,800 dinner menu. The meal starts with a warm salad of vegetables from nearby Yamate bluff, with other locally inflected dishes like shrimp potage (a traditional Yokohama recipe dating from 1868), beef cheek stewed in Lambic beer (a popular quaff in Edo-era Yokohama) and, to cap things off, Yokohama beer mousse with bitter chocolate sauce.
5-211-20 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Yokohama. Tel: 045-681-2665. Open Tue-Sat 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-10:30pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn: Motomachi-Chukagai or JR Ishikawacho. www.lpcfrench.com
No visit to Yokohama would be complete without a stopover in Chinatown, site of Japan’s largest expat community. Restaurant Raishanson gets into the spirit of things with a multicourse feast that includes a five-appetizer plate, stir-fried shrimp with chilli sauce, awabi in oyster sauce, Peking duck, xiaolongbao dumplings, spareribs in orange sauce and almond pudding. Visit the Guru Navi website below for a coupon that offers all this for a discount price of ¥3,780—or just ¥4,980 with two hours of all-you-can-drink booze.
152-6 Yamashita, Naka-ku, Yokohama. Tel: 045-651-5055. Open daily 11:30am-10pm. Nearest stn: Motomachi-Chukagai or JR Ishikawacho. http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a248300
