" The World Largest, Bustling..."
Chinatown Tip by o00o

Yokohama Chinatown occupies an area of approximately 300 meters (984 feet) square in the old downtown area of Yokohama. Apart from Nagasaki, which was the only port open to international trade during Japan's national seclusion in the Edo period (1603-1868) that lasted from around the mid-17th century for a little over 200 years, Yokohama was the first port to be opened in 1859 after Japan ended its seclusion. Thereafter, and until the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Yokohama was the gateway to Japan, proudly ranking as the country's largest port. Shortly after Yokohama became an open port, numerous Chinese merchants came to Japan to operate trading companies. Engaging primarily in the trade of marine products, they played an important role in the foreign trade that was taking place in Yokohama until the 1920s.