Walk past one of the gates and all of a sudden you are in a whole different world, really as if you suddenly are in a completely different country. There are all together 10 gates in Yokohama Chinatown and each one of them is different. They are built based on feng shui philosophy.
Some claim that this is the largest Chinatown in the world as there are over 600 shops here, which is the largest in the world. There are more than 200 restaurants here. It definitely is the largest in Japan as well as in Asia and no doubt one of the largest in the world.
Yokohama Chinatown is as old as Yokohama itself. In 1859, as soon as the Port of Yokohama was founded, Chinese people have settled here, too. Subsequently after ferries were introduced from Shanghai and Hong Kong the Chinese population grew, as above all many traders from China arrived and stayed here. Chinatown has appr. 4000 inhabitants at present, however not all of them are Chinese.
Genbumon Gate is the north-western gate Zenrin-mon Gate = Goddwill gate from 1955 when this Chinatown was officially recognized and called Chukagai = Yokohama Chinatown. Before that it was called Nanjing Chukagai-odori Street runs from Zenrin-mon gate = Goodwill gate as one of the main roads across Chinatown
One of the cute side lanes – Ichiba Street – during the day… …and the same little lane at night
The Kanteibyo Temple houses the relics of Kan-Sei-Tei-Kun, otherwise known as Guan Yu or Yun Chang among the Chinese, famous general from the History of Three Kingdoms who was later deified and is the primary figure of worship at this temple. Guan Yu was born in 160 AD and with his fellow warriors Liu Bei and Zhang Fei they took an oath of brotherhood and solidarity. Liu Bei became the emperor of the Shu-Han Empire. Guan Yu was captured and executed in 219 AD at the age of 58 by the allied forces of Cao Cao and Sun QuanThe Kanteibyo Temple – as we see it today it was opened in 1990 and it is the fourth building on this spot. Guan Yu who is buried here was not only a skilled general but he was also the inventor of the accounting method used in ancient China and as merchants valued the integrity of his character he became revered as the guardian god of the nation and the God of Commerce and Wealth Entrance gate to the Kanteibyo Temple – detail How cute 🙂 Entrance gate to MA ZHU MIAO – Masobyó Temple of the Chinese goddes Mazu = MA ZHU – opened in Yokohama Chinatown in 2006Masobyó Temple is consecrated to MA ZHU. She was an actual person who lived and then was deified as the goddes of the sea. She protects people from the dangers of the sea, natural disasters, epidemics and other misfortunes. Other deities are also enshrined in the shrine Suzaku-mon Gate
There are public restrooms in this interesting building
