Yokohama Chinatown – A visit to Japan Chinatown shopping center is a must especially if you love Chinese food and stuff. And so, we checked out Yokohama Chinatown to see what it offers and to show you what to expect when you go there.
It was a rainy afternoon when we decided to visit Yokohama Chinatown shopping district after a stroll at Nogeyama Zoo with our toddler. He learned a lot and had lots of fun watching animals and experiencing nature inside the zoo.
The drizzles didn’t stop us from visiting another place, because we brought umbrellas with us. Thankfully, after the zoo, our son fell asleep in his stroller so we didn’t have to handle a bored toddler during our visit to Chinatown.
From Yokohama Station to Yokohama Chinatown, you’ll need to ride a train until you reach Ishikawacho. Hop off the train then walk about 8 minutes until you see the big dragon arch sign, which signifies you’re entering the Chinatown.
It was a beautiful sight especially since we are used to seeing that from our country. The typical Chinese arch marked the start of Chinatown. We weren’t even surprised at the amount of visitors it had.
While most of the visitors are Chinese nationals, there were also many Japanese who visited the place. The owners of the Yokohama Chinatown restaurants and shops are Chinese and some of them even know how to converse in Nihongo.
Chicken chops
The first thing that caught our attention was the chicken chops. While I believe that chicken chops were made famous in Taiwan, it is somewhat also a part of the Chinese menu we often see here in the Philippines.
Of course, we had to try one out of the many stores selling chicken chops. And because we were a bit hungry, we enjoyed the crispy fried chicken fillet chops. Chicken chops are famous for their powder flavors, and you’ll find them in Japan Chinatown restaurants too.
Dumplings
Moving along, we saw many dumpling stores claiming they are Yokohama Chinatown best restaurant. The one store even had different colored dumpling wrappers to entice buyers into trying theirs. However, we resisted the urge to try everything because we were planning to eat at a buffet restaurant that evening.
Chinese dishes
We saw sweet and sour pork, BBQ pork (asado), Chao fan fried rice, and many other Chinese dishes in different restaurants. However, since it’s not the native food in Japan, they were quite pricey, and we can have them whenever we go back to our country.
Chinese purse
We also passed by stores that sell Chinese purses – purses that use the cloth same as what emperors wore during the dynasty era – or at least, that’s what we see in most Chinese series. They are a great addition to collections if you want that Chinese vibe in you.
There are also lucky charms that you can hang in your car or at home, or wherever you feel like hanging them. I also saw many dangling earrings and was a little bit swayed – but I just brushed the feeling off – because I already have a lot at home.
Panda souvenirs
Who doesn’t love pandas? I believe if you are like me, who loves cute stuff, you’ll definitely be in love with the panda stuff sold at Yokohama Chinatown! Cute panda plushies, figurines, paperweights, and even chopsticks are available in stores.
There’s even a headband with 2 cute panda heads attached on both sides, so you’ll feel like you are Chinese and Japanese (the Japanese girls love cute headbands, especially when they visit theme parks!) at the same time!
Bamboo steamer
If you’re looking for Yokohama Chinatown things to do, then you must take a look at the stores that sell Chinese housewares.
One of the stores I saw sell Chinese cooking utensils. In it, you’ll see varied sizes of the bamboo steamer, perfect for that time when you want to enjoy yum cha or dim sum at home!
There are also woks and wooden spatulas to make you feel like a Chinese master chef! Apart from the cooking utensils, you’ll also find bowls and rice spoons all in one store. The catch is that you’ll have to think of a way to wrap them in your luggage to travel home without breaking.
Japan Chinatown Food Buffet
Moving our heads from left to right and back to the left again, we saw many buffet restaurants offering many Chinese dishes. From dim sums to siopaos to Peking duck, they all have it all! They all look so delicious and we wanted to try them, however, we found that the price for children is too pricey.
But if you are craving Chinese food, you should try one of them out. I bet you’ll have a good time. They usually let you enjoy food for good 2 hours, just make sure to ask the server first if there is a time limit so you know what to expect.
Candied strawberry
During our Taiwan trip years ago, I was able to try candied strawberries. And even though I love strawberries, I wasn’t fascinated with the idea of eating hard candy-coated strawberries. Probably because I’m not a fan of sweets and candies that much that I only tried them once.
But you don’t have to travel to Taiwan to get these sweets, because candied strawberries also belong to Yokohama Chinatown street foods.
Each stick of candied strawberries was about JPY 500 (PHP 199.76 or USD 3.57) and composed of about 5 pcs of candied strawberries. If you love sweets, it’s a must-try!
Dried fruits and herbs
Another thing to include in your Japan Chinatown things to do list is a trip to the stores selling herbs and spices. Similar to what we find at Ongpin (here in the Philippines), there are also stores selling different kinds of dried fruits and herbs.
These dried herbs are either used as medicines or ingredients for cooking if you are familiar with them. If not, you can try to research about them to know about their benefits to your body, and probably score a pack or 2 during your trip.
Dried lemons, kiwis, oranges, apricots, pineapples, and many others are packed in small packages so you can carry them easily in your luggage. Pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, and goji berries are also found in stores.
I also saw century eggs and pickled vegetables used to flavor Chinese dishes. Check them out if you enjoy them in your meals. ingredients for cooking, so if you are looking for them, Yokohama Chinatown is the place to go.
Chinese temple
We frequent Chinese temples growing up. However, the pandemic has slowed down our visits to the temple. Now that the world has loosened up, we can go visit Chinese temples the way we used to.
Without using a Japan Chinatown map, we finally reached the end, where a Chinese temple resided. We saw many people going to and from it wanting to be blessed by the Buddha. If you are not Buddhist but want to pay your respects, you can do so by lighting an incense stick too.
It was still bright when we left the place, but I think that Yokohama Chinatown night view will be a more splendid sight, seeing all the lighted signs of the stores.
Book a tour at Klook
I know you are a busy person and if you don’t have time to make your itinerary, don’t fret! You can book tours to be able to visit Yokohama Chinatown! And at Klook, you can find what type of tour you want based on your needs.
There’s a customized whole-day tour wherein you can get around not just Chinatown, but even the other parts of Yokohama. The more people you book, the cheaper the rate is per person! However, if you wish to see Yokohama for half a day, you can also do so by paying half the price!
There’s a train pass you can book if you just want to dine in at one of the best Chinese restaurants in Yokohama Chinatown. Choose between a gourmet meal or premium gourmet meals at the listed restaurants.
You can also get the Yokohama Seaside Gourmet Train Pass which is composed of a train ticket from Shibuya to Yokohama and a restaurant coupon to experience a special menu to enjoy Chinese food.
Or you may get the Premium Gourmet Trip Tickets, wherein you can enjoy a full-course Chinese meal at some of the bests restaurants in Yokohama Chinatown. Do note that it’s currently unavailable, and I’m unsure when it will be available again.
Yokohama Chinatown Conclusion
We enjoyed visiting the chinatown after being in Japan for a few days. We were fascinated by how many Chinese people are visiting Japan and how the Japanese are into trying out Chinese food.
I’m not sure about the Yokohama Chinatown opening hours, or whether the stores close early or a little bit later. But one thing is for sure, it’s a must to include it in your itinerary on your next Japan visit.
Have you ever been to a Chinatown in your country? I’d love to hear stories about your visit in the comment section below!
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