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Yokohama Chinatown

Largest Chinatown in Asia

Yokohama Chinatown is one of Japan's three major Chinatowns, and it is easily accessible and always crowded with tourists. There are ten decorated Chinese archways of various shapes, and hundreds of Chinese restaurants covering Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, Guangdong and other tastes. The nearby Guan Di Temple (Kanteibyo Temple) and A-Ma Temple (Masobyo Temple) are worshipped widely by local Chinese residents.

Yokohama China Town is located in the center of Yokohama City and is known as one of the Three Great Chinatowns in Japan, along with Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown and Kobe Nankinmachi. Because the Yokohama Minato Mirai Line leads directly to the entrance of Chinatown, it takes only less than an hour to reach here from Shinjuku, Tokyo, and has become A Famous Sightseeing Spot in Yokohama and a popular tourist destination.

The port of Yokohama was opened in 1859, and soon afterward the Hong Kong and Shanghai routes were opened, where Chinese people came to gather, slowly forming the largest Chinatown in Japan. In Yokohama’s Chinatown area, there are ten different-shaped decorated Chinese archways erected. Four of them (Chaoyang Gate, Yanping Gate, Zhuque Gate, and Xuanwu Gate), which herald the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Xuanwu, are located at the east, west, north, and south corners of the district. On the west side of the center of Chinatown, the symbolic Shanlin Archway was built in 1955, with a prominent plaque hanging on it.

Manywhere Trivia
40% of the permanent residents of Yokohama Chinatown area are Chinese.

Chinese elements are everywhere in Yokohama Chinatown: cute pandas, majestic golden dragons… and names of places from all over China, most of which represent a kind of Chinese cuisine. There are Hundreds of Chinese Restaurants in Yokohama’s Chinatown, you can find everything from Beijing to Shanghai to Sichuan to Guangdong.

Delicious Chinese dishes

It is said that where there is a Chinese community, there is faith, and here is no exception. Yokohama Guandi Temple and Yokohama A-Ma Temple are both located in the Chinese Quarter. The history of Guandi Temple is the same as that of the Chinatown, and the two temples are much admired by local Chinese.

Yokohama Masobyo Temple

A-Ma Faith Around the World

In 2006, the Yokohama Masobyo Temple was opened in Yokohama's Chinatown, symbolizing that Chinese Mazu Faith blossomed in the famous coastal city of Yokohama. Worshiped by the local Chinese, it is said that Mazu, the Holy Heavenly Mother can relieve disasters, heal the sick, and bless the fishermen with safety at sea.

Yokohama Kanteibyo Temple

God of Wealth in Chinatown

The Yokohama Kanteibyo Temple in Yokohama's Chinatown was built about 150 years ago and has been damaged by earthquakes and fires three times, and was last rebuilt in 1990. The temple is built in the style of a Taiwanese temple and is dedicated to Holy Emperor Lord Guan Yu, who is regarded as the god of wealth by local Chinese merchants.