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Yokohama
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Yokohama Stadium YOKOHAMA Once a small fishing village, Yokohama has blossomed into Japan's second largest city with a population of some 3.4 million over the past 140 years from 1859 when it was opened to the Western world as one of Japan's first international ports. Elements of 19th-century modern civilization flooded into this international gateway city from the West. Encounters with various exotic cultures have resulted in a lifestyle and mentality that is unique to its citizens who are "curious and willing to accept" things new and foreign. The Yamashita and Kannai districts contain a number of monuments reflecting the image of those days, while Chinatown continues to thrive and attract numerous visitors with its excellent foods and exotic atmosphere. What best symbolizes the future of Yokohama is the waterfront's Minato Mirai 21 district with a skyline of ultramodern highrise buildings. Where the past and the future fuse into one, Yokohama draws people from everywhere like a magnet. Come and enjoy to the fullest the variety of charms Yokohama has to offer. Access
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Places of Interest - Minato Mirai 21 District -
This is an observatory on the 69th floor of the Landmark Tower Building, Japan's tallest skyscraper soaring 296 meters. A panoramic view sweeping 360 degrees from the heart of Tokyo to Mt. Fuji can be enjoyed. Lower levels contain a 600-room hotel and a shopping mall with some 190 shops. Designed by Kenzo Tange, world-renowned architect, this museum features a collection of 20th-century art pieces. It also includes works of Yokohama-related artists and surrealistic works as well as a photographic collection. A state-of-the-art commercial complex, the extensive World Porters houses fashionable boutiques, restaurants, food stores, interior design shops and movie theaters. Other tourist spots in this district include the Queen's Square Yokohama (a shopping mall), Nippon-maru Memorial Park (the training sailing ship Nippon-maru and Yokohama Maritime Museum) and the Yokohama Cosmo World (an amusement park).
Chinatown in Yokohama is the world's second largest in scale. Over 500 establishments are clustered here, including restaurants offering all the major styles of Chinese cuisine and stores selling sundries, cooking ingredients, spices and even clothing. Once you pass through any of the brilliantly colored gates, you find yourself in a different world, one that is truly Chinese. In sharp contrast to adjacent Chinatown, Motomachi, with its 600-meter-long main street, is quite popular among people of all generations. Boutiques renowned for the "Motomachi brand" stand side by side. The museum boasts a collection of some 9,000 dolls from 135 countries the world over. In addition to dolls from overseas, there is a whole room devoted to traditional Japanese dolls, introducing Japan's centuries-long doll culture. The Osanbashi Pier is Yokohama's gateway to the sea with an international passenger ship terminal. Yamashita Park is a one-kilometer stretch from Osanbashi along the waterfront that serves as an oasis for residents and tourists alike. The Hikawa-maru, a ship once admired as the "Swan of the Pacific, " is moored at the park as a famous tourist attraction, with a museum and a floating restaurant commanding a fine view of the harbor. Across the street from the park stands the 106-meter-high Marine Tower, the world's tallest lighthouse with an observatory. Other attractions in this district include the Yokohama Archives of History and the Silk Museum.
A spacious beautiful Japanese garden with an area of 180,000 square meters, graced by flowers and blossoms in all seasons. Structures of high historic value have been transferred here from other historical cities such as Kyoto and Nara, including some designated as Important Cultural Properties. An island that offers a lot of pleasures, the highlight being the Aqua Museum, one of Japan's largest aquariums. Within the complex, streets depicting a typical Japanese town of 1958 have been reproduced here. It houses eight ramen noodle shops from around Japan, each enjoying an excellent reputation for its own distinctive taste.
A 30 min. train ride from Yokohama takes you to the ancient capital of Kamakura which prospered as Japan's center of politics for some 150 years from the late 12th century. Time-honored temples, an outdoor statue of the great Buddha, shrines and historic sites, making it a major tourist destination. Constituting a part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Hakone is a celebrated tourist spot and a hot spring resort with the volcanic Hakone Range as its focus. Major attractions include Lake Ashi noted for its splendid view of Mt. Fuji, plentiful hot springs and the sulfur-belching valley of Owakudani. July to August is the climbing season for Mt. Fuji (3,776 meters), the symbol of Japan. Gotemba, a climbing base, can be reached in about 2 hours by train (via JR Tokaido and Gotemba lines) from Yokohama. Local Delicacies Due to the influence of the many foreigners who settled in Yokohama, the city provides a wide variety of cuisines, such as French, Italian, German and Swedish, to name a few. Noteworthy, of course, is Chinese cuisine that can be enjoyed in fantastic variety in Chinatown. Japanese foods of all kinds are also available, from authentic Kaiseki-ryori to sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, soba noodles, udon noodles and yakitori skewered pieces of chicken. Accommodations Yokohama offers more than 9,000 rooms, ranging from superdeluxe hotels with the highest standards of comfort and service, to inexpensive tourist-class accommodations. In the surrounding hot spring areas of Hakone and Izu, visitors can enjoy a stay at Japanese-style inns or ryokan.
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Japan Embassy of Ireland Ireland House 5F, 2-10-7 Kojimachi, Chiyoda -ku, Tokyo1020083 Tel : ++81 3 32630695 Fax : ++81 3 32652275
Korea Embassy of Ireland Daehan Fire and Marine Insurance Building, 15th Floor, 51-1 Namchang-Dong, Chung-Ku, 100-778 Seoul Tel : ++ 82 2 7746455 Fax : ++ 82 2 7746458
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