After last nights drinks at Miyakobashi Shotengai Street, we decided it best to have a little lie-in before hitting the town.
Now, there was once spot I really wanted to visit since we arrived in Yokohama and that is the Sankeien Garden that opened over a hundred years ago.
Now, the thing that makes this garden so special isn’t just how gorgeous it looks, but it’s also the historic buildings and history that it houses within its grounds.
You see, tea houses, a daimyo and the oldest wooden pagoda in this region (Which was saved from Kyoto’s old Tomyoji Temple).
There are even a few houses from Kyoto that date back hundreds of years.
It’s one of those places you just have to visit when in Yokohama, even if the weather is swelteringly hot. Even the ravens were trying to cool off in the shade!
After a little wander around the Shunsoro, Tenjuin and the Main Hall of Old Tomyoli, we decided to take the short ramble towards the wooden pagoda upon the hill.
Now, this might not look like a fair distance to ramble, but in sweltering heat and humidity, it kind of felt like an eternity. That being said, it was totally worth it to see.
The Wooden Pagoda is just so typically Japanese and to beautiful to miss up when exploring the city.
Plus, on most days at 2 pm, the gardens have a free English speaking tour so you won’t have to rely on Google Translate to decipher all the texts for you. 😉
After a little wander around the top (and a quick drink), we decided to pop over for a little shopping in the city. First up, we popped on over to the Yokohamabashi Shopping District that’s been a local haunt for almost 100 years.
It’s got everything you think you could ever need, want or eat! It’s the kind of market that has a cornucopia of everything.
Now, it’s not the kind of place you go shopping for your souvenirs or gifts but it’s certainly a local spot to see if you’re passing by the area. Plus, a little stroll here will only take around 10-minutes or so.
Afterwards (and on the way back to the bay area), we decided to pop by the Isezaki Mall, which has a shop for everyone. It’s got some neat little grocers, funky little stores and some nightlife joints that are just on the fringes of the Mall itself.
As we walked down Isezaki Mall, we could smell a whole heap of different stalls and shops selling their goodies. And, this all led to one thing… two very hungry tummies!
Thankfully, we remedied with another trip to our favourite haunt in Minato Mirai for a hefty portion of udon noodles and prawn tempura.
Oh, and an ice-cold Kirin Beer, too.
Neither of us could resist all the food before heading out to catch the sunset at Osanbashi Bridge.
Honestly, it’s a stunner of place to just relax and chill with a coffee or something a little stronger. Plus, it’s the perfect place to see the city change from day to night, especially with the city vista.
For us, we’d always bypassed Yokohama when visiting Japan and even Tokyo itself, even though it’s a mere 30 minutes from them both. This is something of a mistake for us and I’m so glad we finally got to experience some of the pretty nifty, fun and historic sites in the city.
We had a great time in the city and can’t wait to return.
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