Did you know Yokohama Chinatown is convenient by car?
A casual trip from Tokyo to Yokohama. Yokohama is easily accessible from Tokyo, making it an easy place to visit.
While it has a face as a tourist destination with spots like the Red Brick Warehouse and Minato Mirai, it is also a city with deep roots in history and culture that is worth exploring. And best of all, its appeal lies in how easy it is to get to.
Head south on the Wangan Route on a weekend morning, and you'll find yourself reaching Yokohama much more smoothly than you might expect.
It's the kind of drive you can take on a whim, like visiting the neighborhood, even if you don't have any specific plans.
Actually, did you know that Yokohama Chinatown is convenient by car?
If you have the image that it's crowded, the roads are narrow, and parking is expensive, you're missing out!
In reality, this area has a surprising number of spaces where you can easily pull in on side streets a little ways away from the main thoroughfare, thanks to the scattered parking meters.
Unlike regular parking lots, parking meters give you the feeling of being "allowed to park your car in the city itself."
Because it isn't separated from the city like a parking lot, it feels like the car and Chinatown are coexisting!
And this sense of "fitting in" might be something you can only experience in Chinatown, with its slightly exotic atmosphere. Watching your car blend naturally into the neon lights and the scent of Chinese cuisine might even help you notice a different side of your beloved car that you've always seen.
Authentic vibes from the exterior. Real Chinese food at Tenryu Saikan!
After parking the car, we visited Tenryu Saikan, which is located a little off the bustling main street of Chinatown.
Unlike the flashy atmosphere aimed at tourists, there is an air here that feels like being on a street corner in China. There is no Japanese signage at the storefront, and the scent of incense wafts through the air.
Step through the door, and the sights and sounds inside are so authentic it's as if you've stumbled into a trip abroad!
Lunch sets start at just 500 yen including annin tofu—a shocking price in these times of rising costs.
The filling in the gyoza and xiaolongbao is packed with an "authenticity" you won't find in Japanese versions; one bite is enough to tell you this is the real deal.
Each portion is quite generous, so sharing with a few people would be fun!
Next time, I'd love to come with friends in a large group, gather around the table, and share large plates of Chinese food; the exotic atmosphere would surely make for great conversation. Whether you visit casually by yourself or have a lively time with others, this is a restaurant that shows its depth.
What's even better is that they are open continuously from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM!
It offers the reliability of being ready to welcome you even when you've been wandering around Yokohama too long and missed the peak lunch hour and are feeling famished.
Yokohama Chinatown looks a little different when you visit by car
My companion for this trip to Yokohama was a Soarer borrowed from Vintage Club by KINTO (@vintage.club.by.kinto).
The term "date car," which took the bubble era by storm, sounds somehow fresh when you hear it today.
Looking back at the interior and equipment now, it's also quite fun. The digital meter, which was cutting-edge at the time, has a retro-futuristic design that makes me smile when I look at it now.
There is an air of nostalgia in Chinatown, where time seems to flow slowly.
When that overlaps with the nostalgia of the Soarer, it's strange how both the city and the car seem a little different.
Coming by car instead of by train changes how you enjoy Chinatown a little bit.
You can move around without worrying about the time, enter from the outside of the city, walk around, and then head back.
It feels more like a casual neighborhood outing than "sightseeing" (though you can't drink!).
If you park your own car at a Chinatown parking meter, you might just meet a new side of your car amidst the exotic atmosphere of the city.
Courtesy of
Vintage Club by KINTO
@vintage.club.by.kinto
text: Hiromichi Honda
