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is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture

is a prefectures of Japan located in the southern Kanto region of Honshu, Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area....
. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region
Kanto region

The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region encompasses seven Prefectures of Japan which overlaps the Greater Tokyo Area: Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture, and Kanagawa Prefecture....
 of the main island of Honshu
Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area
Greater Tokyo Area

The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the Prefectures of Japan of Chiba Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, and Tokyo ....
.

Yokohama's population of 3.6 million makes it Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
's largest incorporated city
Cities of Japan

|||}A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of ....
.

Yokohama developed rapidly as Japan's prominent port city following the end of Japan's relative isolation in the mid-19th century, and is today one of its major ports along with Kobe
Kobe

is the List of Japanese cities by population in Japan and as the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1.5 million....
, Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
, Nagoya
Nagoya, Aichi

is the List of Japanese cities by population and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chubu region on central Honshu, it is the Capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major seaports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, Chiba, and Hakata-ku, Fukuoka....
, Hakata
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka

File:Fukuoka City hakata-ward.pngFile:KurodaBushi.jpgFile:Hakata dontaku.jpgHakata-ku is one of the wards of Japan of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan....
, Tokyo
Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....
, and Chiba
Chiba, Chiba

is the capital cities of Japan of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a City designated by government ordinance in 1992....
.

Yokohama's foreign population of nearly 75,000 includes Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Brazilians.






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is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture

is a prefectures of Japan located in the southern Kanto region of Honshu, Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area....
. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region
Kanto region

The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region encompasses seven Prefectures of Japan which overlaps the Greater Tokyo Area: Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture, and Kanagawa Prefecture....
 of the main island of Honshu
Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area
Greater Tokyo Area

The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the Prefectures of Japan of Chiba Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, and Tokyo ....
.

Yokohama's population of 3.6 million makes it Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
's largest incorporated city
Cities of Japan

|||}A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of ....
.

Yokohama developed rapidly as Japan's prominent port city following the end of Japan's relative isolation in the mid-19th century, and is today one of its major ports along with Kobe
Kobe

is the List of Japanese cities by population in Japan and as the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1.5 million....
, Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
, Nagoya
Nagoya, Aichi

is the List of Japanese cities by population and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chubu region on central Honshu, it is the Capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major seaports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, Chiba, and Hakata-ku, Fukuoka....
, Hakata
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka

File:Fukuoka City hakata-ward.pngFile:KurodaBushi.jpgFile:Hakata dontaku.jpgHakata-ku is one of the wards of Japan of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan....
, Tokyo
Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....
, and Chiba
Chiba, Chiba

is the capital cities of Japan of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a City designated by government ordinance in 1992....
.

Yokohama's foreign population of nearly 75,000 includes Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Brazilians. Among the attractions are festivals and events.

History

Yokohama was a small fishing village up to the end of the feudal Edo period
Edo period

The , or , is a division of History of Japan running from 1603 to 1868. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu....
, when Japan held a policy of national seclusion
Sakoku

was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter or Japanese could leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633-1639 and remained in effect until 1853 with the arrival of Matthew C....
, having little contact with foreigners. A major turning point in Japanese history happened in 1853–54, when Commodore Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry (naval officer)

Matthew Calbraith Perry was the Commodore of the United States Navy who compelled the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854....
 arrived just south of Yokohama with a fleet of American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 warships, demanding that Japan open several ports for commerce, and the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the , and the , was a feudalism regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family....
 agreed by signing the Treaty of Peace and Amity.

It was initially agreed that one of the ports to be opened to foreign ships would be the bustling town of Kanagawa-juku
Kanagawa-juku

was the third of the 53 Stations of the Tokaido of the Tokaido . It is located in Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama in the present-day city of Yokohama, Kanagawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan....
 (in what is now Kanagawa Ward
Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama

is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.*Kanagawa University*Institute of Information Security*Mitsuzawa Stadium...
) on the Tokaido
Tokaido (road)

The was the most important of the Edo_Five_Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendo, the Tokaido travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshu, hence the route's name....
, a strategic highway that linked Edo
Edo

, literally: Headlands and bays-door, "estuary", ), also Romanization of Japanese as Yedo or Yeddo, is the Geographical renaming of the Capital of Japan Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868....
 to Kyoto
Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 and Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
. However, the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the , and the , was a feudalism regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family....
 decided that Kanagawa-juku was too close to the Tokaido for comfort, and port facilities were instead built across the inlet in the sleepy fishing village of Yokohama. The Port of Yokohama
Port of Yokohama

The is operated by the Port and Harbor Bureau of the City of Yokohama in Japan. It opens onto Tokyo Bay. The port is located at a latitude of 35.19.?29?N and a longitude of 139.37?45?E....
 was opened on 2 June 1859.

, officers, and men of the squadron to meet the Imperial commissioners at Yoku-Hama (Yokohama?) 14 July 1853. Lithograph by Sarony & Co., 1855, after Wilhelm Heine
Wilhelm Heine

Peter Bernhard Wilhelm Heine, better known as Wilhelm Heine was a German-American artist, world traveller and writer....
.]]

Yokohama quickly became the base of foreign trade in Japan. Japan's first English language newspaper, the Japan Herald, was first published there in 1861. Foreigners occupied a district of the city called "Kannai" ("inside the barrier"), which was surrounded by a moat
Moat

A moat is deep, broad trench, usually filled with water, that surrounds a structure, installation, or town, normally to provide it with a preliminary line of Defense ....
, and were protected by their extraterritorial
Extraterritoriality

Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Extraterritoriality can also be applied to physical places, such as embassy, consulates, or military bases of foreign countries, or offices of the United Nations....
 status both within and outside the moat. Many individuals crossed the moat, causing a number of problems. The Namamugi Incident
Namamugi Incident

The was a samurai assault on foreign nationals in Japan on September 14, 1862, which resulted in the August 1863 bombardment of Kagoshima, during the Late Tokugawa shogunate....
, one of the events that preceded the downfall of the shogunate, took place in what is now Tsurumi Ward
Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama

is one of the Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It includes the former village of Namamugi, site of the Namamugi Incident of 1862....
 in 1862; Ernest Satow described it in A Diplomat in Japan.

After the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure....
 of 1868, the port was developed for trading silk
Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from Pupa#Cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity ....
, the main trading partner being Great Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
. Many Western influences first reached Japan in Yokohama, including Japan's first daily newspaper (1870) and first gas-powered street lamps (1872). Japan's first railway was constructed in the same year to connect Yokohama to Shinagawa
Shinagawa, Tokyo

is one of the Special wards of Tokyo of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Shinagawa City. The ward is home to nine embassies.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 344,461 and a population density of 15740 persons per km?....
 and Shinbashi
Shinbashi

Shinbashi is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, located south of Ginza, west of Tsukiji, east of Toranomon and north of Hamamatsucho....
 in Tokyo. In the same year, Jules Verne
Jules Verne

Jules Gabriel Verne was a France author who helped pioneer the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Journey to the Center of the Earth , From the Earth to the Moon , Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , and Around the World in Eighty Days ....
 set Yokohama, which he had never visited, in an episode of his widely-read Around the World in Eighty Days, capturing the atmosphere of a fast-developing, Western-oriented Japanese city.

In 1887, a British merchant, Samuel Cocking
Samuel Cocking

Samuel Cocking was a British trader in Yokohama arriving in 1869, shortly after the Matthew Perry #The Opening of Japan: 1852-1854. He is most famous for the large greenhouse and gardens that he developed in Enoshima....
, built the city's first power plant. At first for his own use, this coal-burning plant became the basis for the Yokohama Cooperative Electric Light Company. The city was officially incorporated on 1 April 1889. By the time the extraterritoriality
Extraterritoriality

Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Extraterritoriality can also be applied to physical places, such as embassy, consulates, or military bases of foreign countries, or offices of the United Nations....
 of foreigner areas was abolished in 1899, Yokohama was the most international city in Japan, with foreigner areas stretching from Kannai to the Bluff
Yamate

is the name of two neighborhoods in Naka-ku, Yokohama. One is the historic Yamate Bluff area, with the Foreign cemeteries in Japan#Yokohama, many well-preserved residences, two International Schools?Yokohama International School and Saint Maur International School?and the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Yokohama....
 area and the large Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown

Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan. Just south of Tokyo. It has about 150 years of history. These days only a few Han Chinese people still live in Chinatown, but it has population of about 3,000 to 4,000....
.

The early 20th century was marked by rapid growth of industry. Entrepreneurs built factories along reclaimed land to the north of the city toward Kawasaki
Kawasaki, Kanagawa

is a cities of Japan located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between 23 special wards and Yokohama. It is the 8th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
, which eventually grew to be the Keihin Industrial Area. The growth of Japanese industry brought affluence, and many wealthy trading families constructed sprawling residences there, while the rapid influx of population from Japan and Korea also led to the formation of Kojiki-Yato, then the largest slum in Japan.

Much of Yokohama was destroyed on 1 September 1923 by the Great Kanto earthquake. The Yohohama police reported casualties at 30,771 dead and 47,908 injured, out of a pre-earthquake population of 434,170. Fuelled by rumours of rebellion and sabotage, vigilante mobs thereupon murdered many Koreans in the Kojiki-yato slum. Many people believed that Koreans used black magic
Black magic

Black magic or dark magic is a form of Magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers. It may be used for dark purposes or malevolent acts that deliberately cause harm in some way....
 to cause the earthquake. Martial law
Martial law

Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupied territory in the absence of any other civil government....
 was in place until 19 November. Rubble from the quake was used to reclaim land for parks, the most famous being the Yamashita Park on the waterfront which opened in 1930.

Yokohama was rebuilt, only to be destroyed again by thirty-odd U.S. air raids during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
. An estimated seven or eight thousand people were killed in a single morning on 29 May 1945 in what is now known as the Great Yokohama Air Raid, when B-29s
B-29 Superfortress

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine Fixed-wing aircraft#Propeller aircraft heavy bomber that was flown by the United States Military in World War II and the Korean War, and by other nations afterwards....
 firebombed the city and in just one hour and nine minutes reduced 42% of it to rubble.

, the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 used Yokohama's port as a transshipment base. This ship departed Yokohama in 1951, carrying war dead home to the U.S.]] During the American occupation
Occupied Japan

At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allies of World War II, led by the United States with contributions also from the United Kingdom....
, Yokohama was a major transshipment base for American supplies and personnel, especially during the Korean War
Korean War

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....
. After the occupation, most local U.S. naval activity moved from Yokohama to an American base in nearby Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa

is a cities of Japan located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.It is located at the mouth of Tokyo Bay in the Miura Peninsula, and the city stretches across the peninsula to Sagami Bay....
.

The city was designated by government ordinance on September 1, 1956.

The city's tram
Tram

A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railroad car, of lighter weight and construction than a train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets....
 and trolleybus
Trolleybus

A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from a network of charged overhead wires using spring loaded trolley poles. Two poles are needed, so that one can draw down the live current to power the motor and the other can complete the circuit by carrying the neutral current back to the network....
 system was abolished in 1972, the same year as the opening of the first line of Yokohama Municipal Subway
Yokohama Municipal Subway

is the rapid transit network in the city of Yokohama, Japan, south of Tokyo In Kanagawa pref. It is operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau, and is operated as two lines, though 3 continuous lines exist....
.

Construction of Minato Mirai 21
Minato Mirai 21

, often shortened to Minato Mirai, is a large urban development in Yokohama, Japan.The name, which means "Harbor Future 21," was selected in a public competition....
 ("Port Future 21"), a major urban development project on reclaimed land, started in 1983. Minato Mirai 21 hosted the Yokohama Exotic Showcase in 1989, which saw the first public operation of maglev train
Maglev train

MAGLEV, or magnetic levitation, is a system of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles, predominantly trains, using levitation from a very large number of magnets for lift and propulsion....
s in Japan and the opening of Cosmo Clock 21, then the largest Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel

A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure, consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas attached to the rim.The original Ferris wheel was designed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago....
 in the world. The 860m-long Yokohama Bay Bridge
Yokohama Bay Bridge

The is a cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 meters . The toll is ?600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway....
 opened in the same year.

In 1993, Minato Mirai saw the opening of the Yokohama Landmark Tower
Yokohama Landmark Tower

The is the tallest building in Japan, standing high. It is located in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city, right next to Yokohama Museum of Art....
, the tallest building in Japan.

The 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as FIFA World Cup hosts#2002 FIFA World Cup by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries....
 final was held in June at the International Stadium Yokohama
International Stadium Yokohama

The , also known as the in FIFA events, is a sports venue in Yokohama, Japan. The stadium was inaugurated in March 1998. It is the home stadium of Yokohama F....
.

In 2009, the city will mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port and the 120th anniversary of the commencement of the City Administration. An early part in the commemoration project incorporates the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development
Tokyo International Conference on African Development

is a conference held every five years in Tokyo, Japan, with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences....
 (TICAD IV) which was held in Yokohama in May 2008.

Historical population

district of Yokohama, showing the Landmark Tower
Yokohama Landmark Tower

The is the tallest building in Japan, standing high. It is located in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city, right next to Yokohama Museum of Art....
 and surrounding buildings.]]
Population
Year of
census 		Population Rank among cities in Japan
1920 422,942 6th, behind Kobe
Kobe

is the List of Japanese cities by population in Japan and as the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1.5 million....
, Kyoto
Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
,
Nagoya, Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
 and Tokyo
Tokyo City

was a Cities of Japan in Japan which existed from May 1, 1889 until its merger with Tokyo Prefecture in July 1, 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by independent Special wards of Tokyo....
1925 405,888 6th
1930 620,306 6th
1935 704,290 6th
1940 968,091 5th, surpassing Kobe
Kobe

is the List of Japanese cities by population in Japan and as the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1.5 million....
1945 814,379 4th, the city government of Tokyo
Tokyo City

was a Cities of Japan in Japan which existed from May 1, 1889 until its merger with Tokyo Prefecture in July 1, 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by independent Special wards of Tokyo....

having been disbanded in 1943
1950 951,189 4th
1955 1,143,687 4th
1960 1,375,710 3rd, surpassing Kyoto
Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
1965 1,788,915 3rd
1970 2,238,264 2nd, surpassing Nagoya
1975 2,621,771 2nd
1980 2,773,674 1st, surpassing Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
1985 2,992,926 1st
1990 3,220,331 1st
1995 3,307,136 1st
2000 3,426,651 1st
2005 3,579,133 1st


Economy

The city has a strong economic base, especially in the shipping
Shipping

Shipping is physical process of transporting product and cargo. Virtually every product ever made, bought, or sold has been affected by shipping....
, biotechnology
Biotechnology

Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as:...
, and semiconductor
Semiconductor

A semiconductor is a material that has electrical conductivity between those of a Electrical conductor and an electrical insulation; it can vary over that wide range either permanently or dynamically....
 industries. Nissan will move its headquarters to Yokohama from Chuo, Tokyo
Chuo, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards that form the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Chuo City in English.Its Japanese name literally means "Central Ward," and it is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, although Shinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end of World War II....
 by 2010.

Places of interest

]] The historic port area is Kannai
Kannai

is a region in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan, bounded by the Ooka River, Negishi Line, Nakamura River, and the Ocean. "Kannai" is not an official name of the area, but it has been in use for over a century....
. Next to the waterfront Yamashita Park is Yokohama Marine Tower
Yokohama Marine Tower

is a 106 metre high lattice tower with an observation deck at a height of 100 metres in Naka-ku, Yokohama Wards of Japan, Yokohama, Japan.The light characteristic is marked by a flash every ten seconds, whereby the light's colour is alternating red and green....
, the tallest inland lighthouse in the world. Further inland lies Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown

Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan. Just south of Tokyo. It has about 150 years of history. These days only a few Han Chinese people still live in Chinatown, but it has population of about 3,000 to 4,000....
, the largest Chinatown
Chinatown

A Chinatown is a section of an urban area with a large number of overseas Chinese residents, usually outside of Greater China. Chinatowns are present throughout the world, including those in East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, South America, Australasia, and Europe....
 in Japan and one of the largest in the world. Nearby is Yokohama Stadium
Yokohama Stadium

is a stadium in Naka-ku, Yokohama Wards of Japan, Yokohama, Japan. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Yokohama BayStars....
, the Silk Center, and the Yokohama Doll Museum. The Isezakicho
Isezakicho

is a district of Naka-ku, Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, consisting mainly of the . The shopping street is 1.2 km long, running from in the northeast, to in the southwest....
 and Noge areas offer many colourful shops and bars that, with their restaurants and stores catering to residents from China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, Thailand
Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar....
, South Korea
South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
, and other countries, have an increasingly international flavour.

The small but fashionable Motomachi
Motomachi

is a district of Naka-ku, Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, located immediately west of Yamate and east of Yokohama Chinatown. It consists mainly of the Motomachi Shopping Street, a five-block long stretch of boutiques and shops, well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, original fashion, and Western influence....
 shopping area leads up to Yamate
Yamate

is the name of two neighborhoods in Naka-ku, Yokohama. One is the historic Yamate Bluff area, with the Foreign cemeteries in Japan#Yokohama, many well-preserved residences, two International Schools?Yokohama International School and Saint Maur International School?and the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Yokohama....
, or "The Bluff" as it used to be known, a 19th/early 20th century Westerners' settlement overlooking the harbour, scattered with foreigners' mansions. A foreigners' cemetery and the Harbour View Park (Minato no mieru oka koen) is in the area. Within the park are a rose garden and the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature (Kanagawa kindai bungakkan).

There are various points of interest in the futuristic Minato Mirai 21 harbourside redevelopment. The highlights are the Landmark Tower which is the tallest building in Japan, Queen's Square Yokohama (a shopping mall) and the Cosmo Clock 21, which was the largest Ferris wheel in the world when it was built in 1989 and which also doubles as "the world's biggest clock".

The Shin-Yokohama district, where the Shinkansen
Shinkansen

File:JR East Shinkansen lineup 200 E2 E4 E1 Niigata Depot 20071100.JPGThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies....
 station is located, is some distance away from the harbour area, and features the 17,000 capacity Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena

is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Japan. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the Japan Railways Group /Yokohama Municipal Subway....
, the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, and Nissan Stadium, known as the International Stadium Yokohama when it was the setting for the final for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as FIFA World Cup hosts#2002 FIFA World Cup by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries....
.

The city is home to the Central League
Central League

The or is one of Japan's two major professional baseball leagues, the winner of which plays the Japan Series against the winner of the other league, the Pacific League....
 baseball
Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score run by hitting a thrown Baseball with a baseball bat and touching a series of four markers called base arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team take turns hitting against...
 team, the Yokohama BayStars
Yokohama BayStars

The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
, and the soccer teams, Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos

is a Japanese football team which participates in the professional J. League. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, the team is one of the most successful J-League clubs....
 and Yokohama F.C.

Politics and government

]] The Yokohama Municipal Assembly consists of 92 members elected from 18 Wards. The LDP
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre right, Conservatism political party and the largest party in Japan and one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world....
 has minority control with 30 seats with Democratic Party of Japan
Democratic Party of Japan

The is a Social liberalism political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several smaller parties. It is the second-largest party in the House of Representatives of Japan and the largest party in the House of Councillors, and it constitutes the primary opposition to the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party ....
 with a close 29. The mayor is Hiroshi Nakada.

Wards

Yokohama has 18 wards
Wards of Japan

A ku , conventionally translated as ward is a district in a large Japanese city. Wards are used to subdivide each City designated by government ordinance , as well as Tokyo ....
 (ku):
  • Aoba-ku
    Aoba-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 wards of Japans which make up the city of Yokohama, Japan. The area made up the northern part of Midori-ku, Yokohama until 1994. It has an area of 35.06km? and a population of 291,212 ....
     
  • Asahi-ku
    Asahi-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.The symbol of Asahi Ward has the sun rising over a Y, the first letter in the city of Yokohama....
     
  • Hodogaya-ku
    Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama

    in Yokohama, Japan, established 1927, is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Originally including the area of the Asahi Ward, the ward was split in 1969....
     
  • Isogo-ku
    Isogo-ku, Yokohama

    is one of 18 Wards of Japan of Yokohama, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located in the southeast part of Yokohama, facing Negishi Bay. As of 2005, it has an estimated population of 163,705 and comprises an area of 19.02 km?...
     
  • Izumi-ku
    Izumi-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The area is 23.56 square meters and the population is 152,723 as of 2006....
     
  • Kanagawa-ku
    Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.*Kanagawa University*Institute of Information Security*Mitsuzawa Stadium...
     
  • Kanazawa-ku
    Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama

    is a Wards of Japan located in the southernmost part of Yokohama, newly established from Isogo-ku, Yokohama in May, 1948.The east of Kanazawa-ku faces Tokyo Bay, the south faces Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Zushi, Kanagawa, and Kamakura, Kanagawa....
     
  • Kohoku-ku
    Kohoku-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kohoku Ward has the largest population of Yokohama's 18 wards, and ranks second only to Naka-ku, Yokohama in the total number of workplaces ....
     
  • Konan-ku
    Konan-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Konanku spread from Minami-ku, Yokohama on October 1st, 1969. At the time, the population was 95 thousand, though it has increased rapidly to 220 thousand....
     
  • Midori-ku
    Midori-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The character for this ward means green. The ward covers an area of 25.42 km? with a population of 171,562 ....
     
  • Minami-ku
    Minami-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The character for this ward means South. Its name derives from the fact that it is located south of Naka-ku ....
     
  • Naka-ku
    Naka-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "Middle Ward." It is host to the city hall and the headquarters of the prefectural government....
     
  • Nishi-ku
    Nishi-ku, Yokohama

    is the smallest of the Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, with an area of 6.98 km?. The population is 85,370....
     
  • Sakae-ku
    Sakae-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The character for this ward can mean glory or prosperity....
     
  • Seya-ku
    Seya-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan....
     
  • Totsuka-ku
    Totsuka-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan....
     
  • Tsurumi-ku
    Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It includes the former village of Namamugi, site of the Namamugi Incident of 1862....
     
  • Tsuzuki-ku
    Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama

    is one of the 18 Wards of Japan of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , 171,429 people lived in Tsuzuki-ku. Tsuzuki-ku is 27.88 square kilometer in area....
     


    • Sister cities

    Yokohama has sister city agreements with Constanta
    Constanta

    Constanta is the oldest living city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located on the Black Sea coast. Constan?a is part of the group of four equal size cities which ranks after Bucharest, Romania's capital, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca and Ia?i....
     (Romania
    Romania

    Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
    ), Lyon
    Lyon

    ||-||}Lyon, also known as Lyons in English, is a city in east-central France. Its name is pronounced in French language and Franco-Proven?al language, and or in English language....
     (France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
    ), Manila
    Manila

    The 'City of Manila' , or simply 'Manila', is the Capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila....
     (Philippines
    Philippines

    The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
    ), Mumbai
    Mumbai

    Mumbai— formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper has approximately 14 million people and, along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, Mumbai forms the World's largest urban agglomerations according to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report with around 19...
     (India
    India

    India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
    ), Odessa
    Odessa

    Odessa or Odesa is the Capital of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major port located on the shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 ....
     (Ukraine
    Ukraine

    Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south....
    ), San Diego
    San Diego, California

    San Diego is the second largest city in California and the List of United States cities by population, located along the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast of the United States of the Western United States....
     (United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    ), Shanghai
    Shanghai

    Shanghai is the List of cities in the People's Republic of China by population in China and one of the List of metropolitan areas by population in the world, with over 20 million people....
     (China
    People's Republic of China

    The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
    ), and Vancouver
    Vancouver

    Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region....
     (Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
    ).

    Education

    ]] Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the city of Yokohama. There are nine public high schools which are operated by the Yokohama City Board of Education, and a number of public high schools which are operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education
    Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education

    Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education is the board of education of the Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.The board consists of six members; one of them is elected as the Chair , and one of them is appointed by the board as the superintendent ....
    .

    Yokohama in fiction

    • Events of Ashinano Hitoshi's manga
      Manga

      , , are comics and print cartoons , in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 20th century. In their modern form, manga date from shortly after World War II, but they have a long, complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art....
       Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko
      Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko

      is a science fiction manga written and illustrated by Hitoshi Ashinano. The title can be translated Yokohama Shopping Log or Record of a Yokohama Shopping Trip....
       unfolds in Kanagawa prefecture with some chapters involving visits to Yokohama.
    • Two successful Godzilla films feature Yokohama and the famous clock (being destroyed): Godzilla vs. Mothra
      Godzilla vs. Mothra

      , released as Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth in the U.S., is the 19th installment in the Godzilla series of films. The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 12, 1992....
       and GMK.


    External links

    • Yokohama’s Minato Mirai 21 is an ultra-modern port… a far cry from its origins as a small fishing village, a travel report by Vinod Jacob 06 Jul 2007
    • ( Minato Mirai, Chinatown, Yamashita park, Sakuragicho, Stadium, Cosmo World )
    • National Archives of Japan
      National Archives of Japan

      The preserve Japanese government documents and historical records and make them available to the public. Although Japan's reverence for its unique History of Japan and Japanese art is well documented and illustrated by collections of art and documents, there is almost no archivist tradition....
      , Digital Gallery: Marine survey chart: , published 1874