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Written by: Anna Toccoli
The bustling seaside city of Yokohama is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, only a 30-minute train ride from central Tokyo. This human-scale metropolis, which claims the moniker “Innovation City,” combines glittering highrises and green areas. Its affordable cost of living and pleasant climate has made it the obvious choice for many foreigners looking to settle in Japan for work or study.
Yokohama has a rich and long-established history of welcoming foreigners. To this day, over 100,000 of the 3.77 million residents come from over 160 countries, creating a melting pot of cultures and people. Moreover, the city has been proactively looking to make the daily lives of expats easier through thoughtful urban planning. By 2023, for instance, the area around Yokohama Station is scheduled to undergo a complete makeover that will include the construction of a large residential building designed specifically for foreign residents complete with a multilingual medical mall, a concierge service, and childcare support facilities.
The city of Yokohama is a fascinating example of how tradition and modernity can coexist in harmony. A short walk from the Minato Mirai’s district near the bay,, now a futuristic hub whose modern skyscrapers define the city’s skyline, takes you through some of the city’s most beautiful parks, all the way to the largest Chinatown in East Asia, a charming neighborhood dotted with old temples and sanctuaries.
