Top Rated Attractions in Yokohama

The impressive bronze statue of a mounted warrior in the park outside Tokyo's Imperial Palace shows Kusunoki Masashige, who lived from 1294 until 1336 and fought for the Emperor Go-Daigo to prevent the Kamakura shogunate from taking control of Japan. Kusunoki Masashige helped defend two fortresses at Akasaka and Chihaya and thus allowed Go-Daigo to return to power, at least briefly. During the Edo period, Masashige became a legend and great hero, representing courage, loyalty and devotion to the Emperor. For this reason he was revered by the World War 11 kamikaze pilots, who saw themselves making a similar sacrifice for their Emperor. -AH

This is a cemetery in a beautiful suburban Yokohama site, which has more than 2,000 graves of British Commonwealth citizens. The area covers more than 73,000 square meters. Land for the British Commonwealth cemetery was appropriated in 1946 for the military graves at Hodogaya. The distinguishing feature is the rows and rows of predominantly plain white wooden crosses.

Enjoy spectacular aerial sights of the city as you go round the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris Wheel. One of the cities’ most prominent landmarks and tourist attractions, the ferris wheel reaches upto a height of 112.5 meters (369.09 feet) and has a wheel diameter of 100 meters (328.08 feet). Rides last for 15 minutes and the 60 units in the ferris wheel can accommodate a total of 480 people. Besides offering a scenic ride to patrons, the ferris wheel also holds one of the world’s largest clock function at its center. If you want to enjoy some phenomenal birds’ eye view of the city of Yokohama, then certainly grab a seat on the gigantic Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris Wheel.

Also renowned as The Giant Ghibli Clock, the NI-Tele Really BIG Clock is credited to beloved animation director Hayao Miyazaki who also co-founded the world-renowned Studio Ghibli. Created using copper and steel, the clock rises up to three stories. Stylistically similar to the popular film 'Howl’s Moving Castle', the numerous figurines that surround the giant clock spring into action multiple times in a day. Thanks to this unique feature, the "NI-Tele Really BIG Clock" has struck a chord with ardent Ghibli fans.

This bronze statue of a little girl wearing red shoes was created by Masamichi Yamamoto in 1979. It represents the child in a song called "Akai Kutsu" (Red Shoes) by Ujo Noguchi, a Japanese poet, which was based on the true story of a Japanese girl adopted by an American couple who were due to take her to America with them. However, at the last moment she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Fearing she would not withstand the journey, she was left in a church orphanage where she died in 1911. The figure sits gazing out to sea, presumably musing over the journey and future she missed out on. -AH

The Statue of a Mother and Child of the Sun was designed by the sculptor, Shin Hongo and built in 1976 by the Kanagawa Chapter of the Japan Ice Cream Association. It is positioned opposite the real location of the first ice cream shop in Japan, started by Fusazo Machida who was a member of the first delegation to visit the United States of America. He was so impressed when he tasted ice cream that on his return he opened a shop called Hyousuiten (shop for iced water). For the first ten years of business, Machida had to bring natural ice from Hokkaido for his handmade ice cream process. -AH