Top Rated Attractions in Yokohama

Originally built in the early 20th century as a customs warehouse, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse is now the most fashionable shopping complex in the waterfront Yokohama. Inside the building you will find the variety of boutiques, restaurants, and bars. Outside the building is great harbor view of Yokohama. most suitable for sightseeing and dating.

Memorializing Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, this Shinto shrine was originally constructed in 1920 at the site of an iris garden known to have been favored by the royal couple. Ascending the throne in 1867, Emperor Meiji spearheaded the Meiji Restoration, drawing Japan from the veils of feudalism. The traditional nagare-zukuri shrine is built amid an evergreen forest comprised of numerous trees from across Japan; a token of gratitude donated by the people. Simple, yet elegant, the Meiji Jingū is isolated from the bustle of Tokyo, its verdant shroud softening the sounds of the vibrant metropolis. Nearby lies the enchanting inner garden, a field of iris blooms in June. The Imperial Treasure House at the shrine also exhibits the coronation carriage and several other intriguing mementos. What stands today is a reconstruction of the original shrine, built in 1958 after its predecessor sustained severe damage during World War II.

The Tokyo National Museum displays a bevy of sculptures, paintings, calligraphy, archaeological objects and other decorative arts. Divided into sections spanning Japanese as well as Korean and Chinese art, the museum's collections are nothing short of artistic preservation of Asian history and culture. Exhibitions, lectures, gallery talks and workshops are held regularly, so visitors can gain access to some valuable information about the world's largest continent. The museum also stores historical documents dating back to the 10th and 11th Centuries.

This striking Buddhist temple is one of Tokyo's oldest, dating back to 645 CE and dedicated to the Goddess Kannon. According to legend, in 628 CE, two brothers discovered a small statue of the goddess in the Sumida River, which miraculously returned to them each time the idol was submerged. The magnificent Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, guards the approach to Kinry-Zan Sens-Ji, its most distinguishing feature being a massive paper lantern painted in red and black to resemble a storm cloud. Beyond this is the Nakamise, a colorful path lined with stalls selling crafts and snacks. The temple is a magnificent sight in itself; its main hall is a grand spectacle replete with intricate details, and large paper lanterns strung from the ceiling are held up by towering columns. The shrine, set alongside a five-tiered pagoda, is a vibrant place of worship and one of the city's most well-known.

A millennium ago or so the legend goes, the Hirokuma brothers found the statue of Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Mercy - the deity alleged to have great powers in purifying people and granting them true happiness) in their fishing nets, and the village chief dutifully enshrined it. The Asakusa Shrine was thus established in 1649 and the three persons in the legend were consecrated as gods of the shrine, hereby earning it the nickname Sanja-sama (the shrine of the three gods). Undoubtedly one of the most famous shrines in Tokyo, it also hosts the Sanja Festival in May.

Nestled in the recesses of Nagatachō, the iconic Hei Shrine upholds the spirit of the Shinto school. The temple enshrines Oyamakui-no-kami, its architecture comprising traditional elements like pointed roofs and scarlet, lacquered furnishings. Dating back to 1478, this revered shrine was originally built inside the Edo Castle to serve as protection from enemies. It was moved to its present site in 1659, with its role as guardian of the palace unfazed and unchanged. Although the facade is insignificant concrete, the torii gate bears inscriptions and glorious images of monkeys, which are believed to be messengers of the shrine's deity. A fine collection of Tokugawa swords and other relics are also on display in the shrine museum. An iconic sanctum in the midst of Tokyo's cosmopolitan din, the shrine does not just reverberate with an ardor which has shaped the religious course of the country, but also carries within itself legendary traces of the Kamakura eon.