Yokohama Chinatown
横浜中華街
Japan's largest Chinatown: 200+ restaurants in one district established in 1859, with four colored gates and street food around every corner
About Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown (Chukagai) was established in 1859 when the Tokugawa government opened Yokohama Port to foreign trade and Chinese merchants settled in the port district. Today it is the largest Chinatown in Japan and one of the largest in Asia, with approximately 200 restaurants and food shops concentrated in a few blocks of Yamashita-cho. Four large decorative gates mark the district's cardinal entrances: Zenrinmon (north), Choryumon (south), Asamon (east), and Himatsuri-mon (west). The main street, Chukagai Odori, is always busy with people eating from street-facing stalls and browsing the restaurants. The food is the primary draw: xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), nikuman (steamed pork buns), Peking duck, dim sum, and dozens of regional Chinese styles. The best approach is to eat street food while walking rather than committing to a sit-down restaurant immediately. Many stalls sell single-serve items from open counters (buns for ¥200-400, skewers for ¥300-500) that allow sampling without ordering a full meal.
Essential Tips
Enter from Motomachi-Chukagai Station Exit 2 for the East Gate (Asamon), the most direct approach from the train
Eat street food first before committing to a sit-down restaurant. The steamed bun counters and fried skewer stalls give the most immediate sense of the district
Weekday lunch is far less crowded than weekend lunch. If visiting on a weekend, arrive before 11 AM or after 2 PM to avoid peak congestion
Kanteibyo Temple (5 minutes from the main street, free entry) is an active Chinese temple in the middle of the district with incense, red columns, and carved lion figures
The four gates are each different in color and design. A circuit of the perimeter to photograph all four takes about 20 minutes and gives a sense of the district's scale
Cash is useful for street stalls (¥1,000-2,000). Sit-down restaurants generally accept cards
The Minato Mirai Line from Shibuya runs direct to Motomachi-Chukagai Station (about 30 minutes, ¥470), the most convenient route from Tokyo
Combine with Yamashita Park (5-minute walk south) and the waterfront for a full afternoon
Don't Miss
Street Food Walk (Nikuman and Xiaolongbao)
The most direct approach to Chinatown is to walk the main street eating as you go. Nikuman (steamed pork buns) are sold from street-facing counters at half a dozen stalls along the main street for ¥200-350 each. Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) can be ordered to go at some stalls, though they are best eaten immediately. Crab croquettes, fried gyoza skewers, and sesame balls (jian dui) are also common street items. Plan to spend ¥800-1,500 on street food before considering a sit-down meal.
The Four Gates
Each of the district's four entrances is marked by a large ornate gate in traditional Chinese architectural style. The gates were constructed in the post-war period and are lit at night. Zenrinmon (north gate, green), Choryumon (south gate, red), Asamon (east gate, near Motomachi-Chukagai Station, red), and Himatsuri-mon (west gate) each have different color schemes. Walking the perimeter and photographing all four gates is a 20-minute circuit of the district.
Dim Sum Lunch
Several restaurants in Chinatown serve dim sum at lunch on weekdays with lower crowds than weekends. Shichifuku specializes in xiaolongbao; Peking Hanten near the East Gate has lunch sets from ¥1,000; Saiko Shinkan does Hong Kong-style dim sum with afternoon tea service. The quality of dim sum in Yokohama Chinatown is consistently higher than most Japanese interpretations outside of specialist restaurants, because many of the chefs are of Chinese descent and have maintained the culinary traditions.
What to Do Here
Street Food Circuit
Enter through the Asamon (East Gate, closest to Motomachi-Chukagai Station). Walk the main street west, buying single items from street stalls as you go: a steamed bun at the first counter, fried gyoza skewers at the next, a sesame ball for dessert. Detour to the side streets (quieter, with more local-facing shops) and visit the Kanteibyo Temple (free, 5 minutes) dedicated to the Chinese military hero Guan Yu. Exit through the Zenrinmon or Himatsuri-mon and walk south to Yamashita Park.
Tips:
- Eat as you walk rather than committing to a restaurant immediately; the street food is the most distinctive experience
- Side streets parallel to the main street have lower tourist traffic and more variety
- Kanteibyo Temple is worth 10 minutes: an active Chinese-style temple with incense and lion carvings, in the middle of the district
- Carry small cash (¥1,000-2,000) for street stalls, since many are cash-only
Yokohama Waterfront and Chinatown Day
Take the JR Tokaido Line from Tokyo Station to Yokohama (25 min). From Yokohama Station, take the Minato Mirai Line 3 stops to Motomachi-Chukagai. Start in Chinatown for lunch (11:30 AM). Walk to Yamashita Park and the Hikawa Maru (1 hour). Continue along the waterfront to the Red Brick Warehouse and Cosmo World (2 hours). End at the Cup Noodles Museum before it closes at 6 PM.
Tips:
- This route works west to east: Chinatown → waterfront → Red Brick Warehouse → Cup Noodles Museum
- JR Tokaido Line from Tokyo Station to Yokohama: 25-30 min, ¥470, and faster than Shinkansen for this distance
- Return from Minatomirai Station to Shibuya directly on the Minato Mirai Line (30 min, ¥470) or to Yokohama Station for the Tokaido Line back to Tokyo
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
district
Always accessible (no gates). Individual shops: generally 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, restaurants until 10:00 PM or later on weekends.
restaurants
Lunch service: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Dinner: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (some later).
Best Time to Visit
Weekday lunch (11 AM-1 PM) for lower queue times at restaurants. Evening for atmosphere and lit gates. Avoid weekend lunch (12-2 PM) when the main street can become congested.
Avoid:
Weekend and holiday lunchtime (12-2 PM). The main street congestion on peak days makes eating and walking difficult.
Nearby
Yamashita Park
Waterfront park with views of Yokohama Bay and the historic ship Hikawa Maru. 5-minute walk from the south gate of Chinatown.
0.3 km
Motomachi Shopping Street
Upscale shopping street adjacent to Chinatown with Japanese and European boutiques. 5-minute walk east.
0.3 km
Sankeien Garden
Traditional Japanese garden with relocated Edo-period buildings. 15 minutes by bus from Yamate Station.
3 km
Cup Noodles Museum
Instant ramen museum in Minatomirai. 25-minute walk or 5 minutes by subway.
2 km
Gallery
The main street: always busy, always lit, always with something to eat
Asamon (East Gate): the main entry from Motomachi-Chukagai Station
Street stalls: nikuman (steamed pork buns) from ¥200-350, best eaten on the street
Kanteibyo Temple: an active Chinese-style temple dedicated to Guan Yu, in the district center
Evening: the gates and street lanterns are lit; crowds are slightly thinner than at peak lunch
History
founding
Yokohama Chinatown grew from the Chinese merchant quarter that developed after the Yokohama Treaty (1858) opened the port to foreign trade in 1859. Chinese merchants from Shanghai and Guangdong settled in the port district to facilitate trade between Japan and China. The community established a temple (Kanteibyo) in 1873 and the district gradually expanded through the Meiji and Taisho periods. The Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) destroyed most of the original buildings; the current street layout and architecture date primarily from post-war reconstruction.
significance
Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Japan and one of the largest in Asia. Its establishment is directly tied to Japan's forced opening to foreign trade in the mid-19th century and represents the longest-continuous Chinese community in Japan. The district is a legally recognized cultural heritage area in Yokohama and is protected from redevelopment by local ordinance.
name Origin
Chukagai (中華街) literally means 'Chinese-style street' or 'China Town': the chuka (中華) prefix is the standard Japanese term for Chinese-style cuisine and culture, and gai (街) means district or street. Yokohama Chukagai distinguishes it from Kobe Nankinmachi (the other notable Chinatown in Japan).
Getting There
Minato Mirai Line from Shibuya
Station: Motomachi-Chukagai Station (Minato Mirai Line)
Exit: Exit 2
Walk: 2 minutes from Exit 2 to East Gate (Asamon)
The most direct route from Tokyo. The Minato Mirai Line runs from Shibuya through Yokohama Station and continues to Motomachi-Chukagai at the edge of Chinatown.
JR Negishi Line from Yokohama Station
Station: Ishikawacho Station (JR Negishi Line)
Exit: Main exit (south exit)
Walk: 5 minutes to Chinatown main street
Convenient if already at Yokohama Station from the JR Tokaido Line. One stop to Ishikawacho, then a 5-minute walk into the district.
Location
Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023
Nearest: Motomachi-Chukagai Station (Minato Mirai Line) or Ishikawacho Station (JR Negishi Line) (2 minutes from Motomachi-Chukagai Station Exit 2 (east gate). 5 minutes from Ishikawacho Station.)
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