Yokohama Chinatown

Yokohama Chinatown (Yokohama Chūkagai) is located in Yamashita-chō, Naka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is one of Japan’s oldest and largest Chinese communities, with a history spanning more than 160 years since the opening of Yokohama Port in 1859. Around 3,000 to 4,000 Chinese residents live here today, most of whom are of Cantonese descent. In its early years, the district was known as “Tōjinmachi” or “Nankinmachi,” and it was officially renamed “Chinatown” in 1955.

Together with Kobe’s Nankinmachi and Nagasaki’s Shinchi Chinatown, it forms one of the Three Great Chinatowns of Japan, and it is the largest Chinatown in Asia. The area is home to more than 200 Chinese restaurants, ranging from fine Cantonese dining establishments to small dim sum stalls, offering visitors authentic dishes from across different regions of China.

Yokohama Chinatown traces its origins to 1859, when the Japanese government established a foreign settlement following the port’s opening. Many Chinese merchants and craftsmen moved here to work for Western trading companies and banks. As regular shipping routes between Yokohama and Shanghai and Hong Kong were established, Chinese traders began settling in the area, founding temples, community halls, and schools such as the Kanteibyo (Guan Di Temple) and Yokohama Chinese School—laying the foundation for today’s Chinatown.

After the abolition of the foreign settlement system in 1899, Chinese residents were free to live and trade across wider areas, leading to the district’s expansion. However, the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake devastated Yokohama, almost completely destroying Chinatown and forcing many Chinese to return home. Later, during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), strict regulations against Chinese residents caused further decline.

After World War II, as Yokohama’s port regained its vitality and trade with Hong Kong resumed, Chinatown gradually flourished again. The Zenrinmon Gate, built in 1955, symbolized the area’s postwar revival. The gate’s inscription “Chūkagai (Chinatown)” and “Shinjin Zenrin” (“Be kind to your neighbors”) became enduring icons. Over time, tourism transformed Chinatown into a major attraction, welcoming visitors from across Japan and around the world.

On February 1, 2004, the Minatomirai Line opened, establishing Motomachi–Chūkagai Station as its terminal stop. With direct trains from Shibuya, Tokyo, the area became much more accessible, taking only about one hour to reach. Today, Yokohama Chinatown welcomes approximately 18 million visitors annually, generating over ¥50 billion in economic activity, with around 343 Chinese-owned and 200 Japanese-owned shops contributing to its vibrant, multicultural atmosphere.

In addition, the Yokohama Mazu Temple, dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, was inaugurated on March 17, 2006, to commemorate Yokohama Port’s 150th anniversary. The Mazu statue was consecrated from the original Meizhou Tianhou Temple in Putian, Fujian Province, China. In fact, Mazu worship had already taken root in Yokohama over 140 years ago, with rituals held at the Kanteibyo Temple and the Chinese Consulate during the Qing Dynasty. Today, the temple stands as a spiritual and cultural centerpiece, enriching the religious landscape of Yokohama Chinatown.