Hello, everyone! My name is Kwan, a student from Thailand and a new member of this project. This is my first time doing this blog and I hope that you will find my stories enjoyable and useful , especially for those who are coming to visit Kanagawa!!
For this entry, I've decided to write about my experience of visiting Yokohama Chinatown. Speaking of Chinatown, there seems to be one in every country, isn't there? What I love about Chinatown is not only the Chinese food sold there (which is the best, both in terms of quality and variety) but also the vibrant, rich and colorful Chinese culture that can be seen in the area. That is why I was really interested to see what the biggest Chinatown in Japan (and one of the biggest in the world) has to offer.
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The Chinatown sign at Motomachi-Chukagai station |
Getting to Yokohama Chinatown is not too difficult, even if you are not familiar with riding trains in Japan as it takes less than 10 minutes from Yokohama station (via Minato Mirai Line). The Chinatown's nearest train station is the one called "Motomachi-Chukagai". From this station's second exit, you can see a corner with a large convenient store. Turn right at that corner, and the Chinatown is right in front of you.
The road toward Chinatown is decorated with many Chinese posters and ornaments, so there is no need to be worry about getting lost on your way there.
The first thing one can notice is this giant panda head, which is actually an entrance to a merchandise shop near the gate of Chinatown. Nearby is a large building called "China Museum", which is similar to a small theme park consisting of several souvenir shops and small restaurants. This place is quite a good start for your Chinatown tour. There are many cute merchandises sold here, including an official Sanrio shop, selling all types of Hello Kitty-related goods. Most of them are also Chinese-themed products too, which I assume is something exclusive for the Chinatown branch only.
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| Chinese-themed Hello Kitty shop inside the China Museum Building |
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| The China Museum building |
I would not recommend having a big meal in the museum's food court though, as there still are many, many amazing things for you to eat inside the Chinatown itself.
Many of Chinese traditional arts and crafts can be found alongside the street here. These fortune-telling and palm-reading shops are one example.
On the opposite side of China Museum, you can spot a colorful chinese-styled gate, one of the many that are used to indicate an entrance into Chinatown. Entering through this gate, the first landmark in sight is a temple called Yokohama Mazu Miao, a temple dedicating to Mazu, the Goddess of the sea.
Opened to the public in 2006, this temple is built after the local community (using contributions from all over Japan) purchased a piece of land here from the developers, who originally planned to turn this area into a modern apartment complex. Instead, the local community successfully acquired the land and built a grand temple that quickly became a spiritual center and one of the main tourist attractions of Yokohama.
The only thing I can say about this Mazu temple is that it is simply beautiful, definitely one of the most ornamented and colorful temple I've ever seen. The gate, the walls, the pillars, and all kinds of decorations truly show how much effort and attention to details were used when it was created. With many people coming to the place to do regular rituals, it actually gave a feeling as if this place has been standing here for decades or centuries instead of being recently built. This temple is also a proof of how much the Japanese local communities care about preserving their traditions, as well as how much the authorities of the country support its people's campaigns.
Although a map of Chinatown is provided at the train station (on the pamphlet stand that can be found right after you get off the train), I don't think you really need a map to explore the place. It is very easy to walk around and explore the entire Chinatown in half a day, even if you are totally unprepared.
Throughout the streets of Chinatown, you can enjoy observing the lively and colorful lifestyles of the Chinese and Japanese people living here. Apart from the shops, there are also other recreational spots for townspeople around, such as this small garden/playground, where you can see the kids playing while the adults are having discussion nearby. Definitely a sight you can't easily find in the middle of a big city like this.
Following through the main street, the next major temple you can find is Kuan Tai Temple, built around 1862 in order to worship the spirit of Kuan Tai, a famous Chinese general. It is said to be a place with spiritual power that can help energize those who are exhausted. The temple truly stands out with its amazing golden color, the great details to be found in its decorations, and the giant red lamps hanging at the entrance.
The wonderful colors and ornaments make this a perfect spot for taking photographs. It is also one of the most lively places in the area.
Moving on to the real highlight of Chinatown which, of course, has to be the food. Yokohama Chinatown offers hundreds of different restaurants with countless varieties of Chinese dumplings, Pao (Chinese buns), pastries, dim sum, and so on. Personally, I would recommend not having a big meal here and spend your time looking through smaller shops instead. The food quality of all the shops is really high (as far as I have tasted) and it is most enjoyable to just walk along the street and buy anything that looks delicious.
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The great variety of buns in Chinatown shops |
One of the recommended menu of Yokohama Chinatown has to be the Chinese buns. There are many varieties to be found here, and all of them come in great sizes, so it is best to choose carefully since 2 or 3 of them is more than enough to fill one's appetite. The most common one would be a Niku Man (meat bun) which costs around 350 yen or a little bit more.
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This is how they sell the buns here. |
There are many interesting strategies that the shops here use to differentiate their food (as most of them offer similar menu). One of them is showing videos and pictures of Japanese TV programs in which celebrities come visiting these shops and their reactions to the food are shown. It is great fun to look at these videos at the shop display and decide by yourself which shop seems tastier. It is also one of the unique qualities of Chinatowns in Japan.
Usually, I just tried anything from a shop that seems most busy or crowded, and I am glad to say that none of the food here disappointed me.
My special recommendation would have to be the Soup Bun (aka Xiaolongpao). This is a special kind of bun with pork, vegetables and hot thick soup inside. I have tasted them in Bangkok before, but those small buns are nothing in comparison to the giant ones sold here. What l love most is that the Japanese cooks managed to find a way to make the bottom of the bun appropriately crispy, while the top is still soft enough that you can enjoy the bun from top to bottom without spilling the soup. Also, be warned that the soup is boiling-hot, and burning your tongue at the beginning of the Chinatown trip is not a pleasant experience at all.
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| This one is a soup bun as well, but with a thick soup (similar to shark fin soup) inside. |
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For those who are thirsty, sweet &chewy tea/juice with tappioka is also a regular menu here. |
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The entrance to Hong Kong Road |
By nighttime, Yokohama Chinatown becomes even more lively than ever, with more people joining and all the shop's vibrant displays. Simply walking around the streets at night and taking in the atmosphere is a great way to spend the evening.
To me, what really sets China Town in Japan apart from those in other countries is the creativity. The Japanese-styled creativity can be found throughout the place, not only in the food but also the clothing and merchandises sold around here. You can see how the Japanese cute characters and designs manage to find its way into these Chinese clothes and buns; definitely something you can't find elsewhere.
If you have a chance to come near Yokohama, then visiting Yokohama Chinatown is a must. It is truly worth it to spend at least half a day here, just observing a different lifestyles and trying out new food menu. Right after I came back from this short trip, I've decided to find time to go back there again. The food is just too good, and the town is a lot of fun to explore.
Access
Yokohama Chinatown can be easily accessed from the middle of Tokyo. Visitors can take a train (JR Tokaido line) from Tokyo station to Yokohama station (around 25 minutes and costs 450 yen). From there, change to Tokyu Toyoko/Minatomirai Line in order to get to Motomachi-Chukagai station (8 minutes and costs 200 yen). Once you arrive at Motomachi-Chukagai, it takes less than 5 minutes (on foot) to enter the Chinatown. No entry fee is required.
