10 Hidden Gems In Yokohama

Don Don Down on Wednesday

Don Don Down on Wednesday is a shopping experience like no other in Japan. On the surface, it is just a second-hand clothes shop where you can find rare designers like Comme des Garçons, vintage Nike or Jordan - but there is a big difference. As you might have been able to tell from the name, every Wednesday the prices get lower, and lower, and lower until you’d hardly believe how cheap they are. The only problem is that someone might be watching the same item as you are, so you have to choose your time very, very wisely or you might lose it. Do you risk waiting until your vintage Jordans are down to one-thousand Yen? Or do you pay more now and know that you will be walking the streets of Yokohama with them? That’s the fun of it! For any visitor who wants to purchase some bargain items or wants to experience a completely new way of shopping, Don Don Down on Wednesday is one of the must-visit hidden gems in Yokohama for you.

Home Base

Life can sometimes move very fast in Japan, so we always try to make things as efficient as possible. One example of this is the famous Japanese standing bar culture, where you can get a drink and eat a meal without even sitting down. Home Base is one of these standing bars, which we call tachinomiya, in the basement area of the Minato Mirai Station. As you’d expect with a location like this, it serves the workers and businessmen heading home good food and drinks at a very affordable price before they catch their train. There are many secret places in Yokohama, especially bars, but Home Base is one of the least known to tourists. When it is very busy, most people will probably walk past it and think nothing of it – but you must go in! Inside you can drink some fine Japanese beer and try some flavorsome finger food, all while you watch the busy workers go on their way. I think that Home Base is one of the Yokohama hidden spots that will give you a taste of real Japanese culture.

Yokohama Museum of Art

Photo credit: Wiiii, Wikipedia

The Yokohama Museum of Art normally has some kind of exhibition on with Japanese artists, but sometimes they have works from famous European artists too. I always check before I come here just to see if there is anything that interests me – the exhibitions are always changing so you should look on the website first. For some real hidden gems in Yokohama, you should visit the information and media center here, which is similar to a library in some ways. Spend a little bit of time browsing their huge collection of art books inside a room which has a very calming atmosphere. Many people here will be researching for their own work, so you will have to be very quiet.

Bashamichi Street

From the first place to make beer, to the first place to make ice cream – I told you we had many firsts! If you’re traveling in Japan, you might have come across Bashamichi ice-cream - it’s one of our most famous brands of ice-cream and you can buy it almost everywhere. But Bashamichi Street (or “horse street” as it translates in English) is where it all began back in 1869 when Fusazo Machida made the first ice-cream here. Unfortunately, you can no longer get the ice-cream on the street anymore, but it’s still cool to see the place where it started since it’s an important Yokohama food. If you do want to try it, you can get it at the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse from the Yokohama Bashamichi Ice shop – they even make a flavor that replicates the original.

Koganecho Area

Photo credit: Shuzo Serikawa , Flickr

The Koganecho area redevelopment is one of the biggest success stories in Yokohama. After World War Two, Koganecho became known for being its black market and red-light district, but the local people wanted to clean it up. Over many years it was renovated and is now an art town with galleries, exhibition spaces and stalls lining the streets. Some of the best-hidden gems in Yokohama can be found here; such as the Koganecho Area Management Center, the main facility responsible for the huge cleanup. Walk these once treacherous streets and see works from local, national and international artists on display in the studios underneath the arches - it’s cool to spend a whole day like this. When you have seen enough art, stop for a coffee in one of the very cool coffee shops such as Tinys, or even a sophisticated cocktail in Laugh Park. If you are really lucky, you could be here during the Koganecho Bazaar Art Festival held every Autumn.