Yokohama

Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and Japan's largest incorporated city, with a population of 3.6 million, located in the Kanto region of the main island of Honshu. Yokohama is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area.

It developed rapidly as Japan's prominent port city following the end of Japan's isolation in the late 19th Century, and is today one of its major port along with those of Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, Hakata, Tokyo and Chiba.

Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan isolated herself from the rest of the world, Western nations forced the country to open its ports to foreign trade. In 1859, Yokohama's port became one of the first ports to be openend, and Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities.

Until today, the Yamate residential area retains a Western touch and houses many foreign residents, while Yokohama's Chinatown is one of the world's largest.

Publishes at : 07-07-05 02:07

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