Hilton Yokohama
For my first trip to Tokyo, which coincided with the Qingming Festival holiday and cherry blossom season, hotel prices in Tokyo were outrageously high, so I opted for nearby Yokohama instead. Yokohama is the capital and largest city of Kanagawa Prefecture, with a population of 3.77 million, making it Japan’s most populous secondary administrative division. It is very close to Tokyo, making it quite convenient for tourism purposes. I chose the Hilton Hotel near JR Yokohama Station; the hotel is very new, the rooms are spacious, and the price was very reasonable. Gold members also receive complimentary breakfast. When traveling in Japan, I habitually choose twin beds because twin rooms are usually slightly larger than king rooms…
Although the hotel is a bit of a distance from Yokohama Station—about a 1.2 km walk—the good news is that 80% of the walk is through underground passages or on pedestrian overpasses, all equipped with elevators or escalators, which is quite friendly for tourists dragging luggage. Only the final stretch of about 200 meters from the Fuji office building to the hotel is uncovered and at street level, which can be inconvenient when it rains.
Yokohama Station is extremely well-developed, surrounded by numerous shopping malls, making shopping and dining incredibly convenient. On the way to the hotel, you pass office buildings of companies like NISSAN, FUJI, and SONY. Every morning when heading out, you can see many salarymen commuting to work, looking neat and orderly. Right next to the hotel is the Anpanman Museum, and next door is K Arena. The day after we left, Jay Chou held a concert there, and hotel prices immediately skyrocketed. There is a Lawson convenience store downstairs, which is quite handy for buying drinks or bento boxes. Next to it is an OK Store, known as a famous discount supermarket in Japan. Despite its low prices, it offers a wide variety of products. Häagen-Dazs ice cream costs only 10 yen each, vegetables and meat are very cheap, and you can even buy sashimi. Compared to convenience stores, the prices here are truly unbeatable; the only downside is that they cannot heat up bento boxes for you.
The hotel breakfast was also excellent. Although it was just the lounge breakfast, the selection was extensive, the atmosphere was quiet with fewer people, and the beverage options were abundant and delicious.
Cup Noodles Museum
After checking in at the hotel, I took a stroll nearby. Walking towards the port for about 20 minutes brings you to the Cup Noodles Museum. The museum was built by Nissin Food Products to commemorate its founder, Momofuku Ando, who invented the world’s first instant noodles—Chicken Ramen—and continued to innovate in the instant noodle industry. The museum consists of five floors: the 4th floor features Noodle Bazaar, a restaurant offering noodles from around the world, including Lanzhou beef noodles from China and the original Chicken Ramen. The 3rd floor houses the most popular attractions: the Chicken Ramen Factory and My Cup Noodles Factory, hosting eight DIY ramen sessions daily (early reservation is recommended). The main exhibition area is on the 2nd floor, along with a theater, while the 1st floor comprises the lobby and souvenir shop.
Overall, the museum is thoughtfully designed, comfortable, and offers a decent experience. Of course, significant effort has been put into showcasing Nissin’s products and its founder, so unless you have a particular fondness for instant noodles or happen to be passing by with time to spare, it might not be highly recommended~~
From the terrace, you can see InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8. This hotel’s location is ideal for vacationing in Yokohama or for cruise passengers embarking or disembarking at the Port of Yokohama.
Right outside the museum stands Yokohama’s famous Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel. Built in 1989, this Ferris wheel was originally one of the amusement rides at the Yokohama Exotic Showcase. Although it was scheduled to be dismantled after the exposition, it was preserved due to its immense popularity. Later, due to the construction of nearby skyscrapers, the Ferris wheel was dismantled in 1998 and relocated to its current site in 1999.
Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Japan and indeed all of Asia. Along with Kobe’s Nankinmachi and Nagasaki’s Shinchi Chinatown, it is considered one of Japan’s three major Chinatowns. In Yokohama Chinatown alone, there are over 200 Chinese restaurants. This is definitely one of the must-visit spots in Yokohama. I casually tried some fried chicken cutlets and steamed buns; honestly, the food was just average. However, visiting in the evening to take photos and buy souvenirs is still worthwhile…
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