Europeans wishing to trade with Japan in the late 19th century were restricted to carrying on their trade from Yokohama, which still shows western characteristics as a result. There's a lot to see and do here.

Sakuragicho -- accessible from the JR or from the Toyoko line.

* Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan. Some interesting shopping and restaurants on the lower levels. You can also pay to ride to the top for what are said to be excellent views (we're too cheap to find out).

* Maritime Museum and Nippon Maru, an old training ship that can be boarded.

* The largest ferris wheel in Asia, a ride consists of one full revolution and takes 15 minutes. The view from the top is spectacular and, on a clear day, includes Mt. Fuji.

* Minato Mirai - a complex of hotels and office buildings built as part of the dockside reclamation scheme. From here you can catch a ferry through Yokohama Harbor to Yamashita Park.

Buses to Sankeien also leave from outside Sakuragicho Station. Sankeien is a strolling garden built by a silk merchant and given to the city. It is very traditional in its design: a large pond, lots of flora that blooms in various seasons. What makes it special is the hillock with a pagoda and viewing platform on the top. The traditional house on the other side of the pond is also very nice. It's a great place to spend an afternoon wandering around.

Ishikawacho -- on the JR Negishi Line, from one end you can get to Chinatown, from the other, Motomachi, Yokohama's fashion district.

* Chinatown, one of three in Japan (the other two are in Kobe and Nagasaki) is a great place to spend an afternoon. Lots of Chinese restaurants to choose from; also Chinese groceries and sweet shops and many stores that sell Chinese goods. The Chinese New Year celebrations are always interesting, as are many other minor Chinese festivals that are still celebrated with dragon dances and fireworks.

* At the end of Chinatown, Yamashita Koen Dori runs along Yamashita Park, which spans the waterfront. The park is very crowded on Sundays with strollers, roller skaters and children. Here is moored the Hikawa-maru, a former luxury liner now a popular site for weddings and parties. It can be boarded and toured for a fee (which we're never been willing to pay). The waterbus which plies the harbor for Minato Mirai and Yokohama Station also leaves from here.

* At the far northwest end of Yamashita Park is the Silk Center, which houses a museum explaining the process involved in making silk and the history of silk in Japan. There are some truly incredible kimono and other costumes on display here. Open 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

* Travelling southeast from Yamashita Park, cross the Nakamura River and climb through Harborview Hill Park to the Yamate district of Yokohama, where the earliest Europeans lived. Here can still be found a number of their houses and churches. Many have been turned into museums or are otherwise open for display.

* At the Foreign Cemetary in Yamate, approximately 4,000 foreigners, many famous historical figures, are buried.