Get Relaxed and Refreshed at Yokohama’s Harbor View Park Full of an Exotic Atmosphere

In Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, there are plenty of leisure facilities and gourmet spots. This area, which once welcomed the arrival of the US battleships and has a history of being open to the world ahead of other parts of Japan, still has many places that make you feel that history. Though Yokohama Chinatown may come to your mind as the signature site, it is also recommended to visit Harbor View Park (Minato-no-Mieru Oka Koen, 港の見える丘公園) where you can overlook the harbor and the city full of exoticism from Yamate Hill. This park is also well-known for its famous roses. In this issue, we will introduce a walking route in detail covering the highlights of the park, a little away from the hustle and bustle of the busy area.

Harbor View Park is 5-minute walk away from Motomachi-Chūkagai Station on Minatomirai Line which is 2-station ride away from Bashamichi Station, the closest one from Yokohama Sakuragicho Washington Hotel.

Overlook Yokohama Port and Yokohama Bay Bridge from “Harbor View Park Observatory”

“Harbor View Park” is located on a small hill from which you can have the best view of Yokohama Port and Yokohama Bay Bridge. Since the land where both British and French troops had stationed from the end of the Edo era to the beginning of the Meiji era became a park, there are still exotic buildings remaining in the park. In the center of the park, there’s an observatory with a semi-circular arched wing-like roof seen as the park’s landmark, overlooking Minatomirai area in the northwest to Yamashita Pier in the southeast. As there are few people in the early morning, it’s perfect for taking a walk and enjoying the scenery of Yokohama. It is also really popular among couples because of the panoramic night view including the glittering Yokohama Bay Bridge at night.

Opening Hours	24 hours / Closed on New Years’ Holiday
URL	https://www.yokohamajapan.com/things-to-do/detail.php?bbid=182

“English Rose Garden” where 330 kinds of roses are in full bloom in spring and autumn

In front of the British House Yokohama (Former British Consulate, 横浜市イギリス館) located in the park, there is “English Rose Garden” (イングリッシュローズの庭), one of the city’s famous places for roses. With the British House Yokohama in the background, the garden is arranged with the theme of an English-style garden in which roses are planted as the leading part where you can enjoy the harmony of various flowers and plants throughout the year. In particular, roses become in full bloom during mid-May through to mid-June and mid-October through to mid-November. Including the “Rose and Cascade Garden” that connects the British House Yokohama and Bluff No. 111 (Yamate 111 Ban-Kan, 山手111番館), and the “Scented Garden” (Kaori-ni Niwa, 香りの庭) in front of The Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum (大佛次郎記念館), you can appreciate 2,200 roses of 330 species at once. Since you can also take a photo of roses together with Yokohama Bay Bridge, why don’t you bring your camera or smartphone to seek the best shot for your Instagram post?

Opening Hours	24 Hours 　Closed on New Years’ Holiday
URL	https://www.yokohamajapan.com/things-to-do/detail.php?bbid=73

“Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature” exhibiting materials of literary masters related to Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefecture has been the place where many authors wrote their pieces since the Meiji era, and has appeared as a stage for widely known novels such as “Gate” (門) of NATSUME Soseki (夏目漱石). Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature (神奈川近代文学館) adjacently located to the Harbor View Park is the largest literary museum in the country that represents the prefecture. In addition to NATSUME Soseki, it houses more than 1.2 million handwriting works of modern literary writers related to the prefecture, such as Akutagawa Ryunosuke, TANIZAKI Junichiroi, KAWABATA Yasunari, DAZAI Osamu, and MISHIMA Yukio. Aside from the permanent exhibition, you can appreciate a wide genre of literature at special exhibitions such as popular fiction, children’s literature, and poetry. Currently, “SATO Satoru Exhibition – Korobokkuru Monogatari” (佐藤さとる展―『コロボックル物語』とともに―) is being held until 26th September.

Opening Hours	9:30AM – 5:00PM　Closed on Monday and New Years’ Holiday *When Monday is a national holiday, it opens. *For irregular closure for replacement of exhibits, refer to its official site.
Admission	260 yen for the permanent exhibition *For special exhibitions, refer to its official site. *Prior reservation on its official site is required.
URL	https://www.kanabun.or.jp/