Yokohama was once the undisputed headquarters for foreigners in the Kanto region. Its wide accommodating port facilities were the destination for postwar U.S. fleets arriving to establish their presence in Japan. And, as with any port town, many bars and restaurants sprang up to cater to the ebb and flow of customers arriving with the tide.
Yokohama is also host to Japan's most famous Chinatown. That is where you will find Jimmy Stockwell's small but select fleet of restaurants and bars: Cable Car, Windjammer and Windjammer Wharf. Of these, Windjammer is his flagship -- a spacious restaurant and bar that seats upward of 50, features live jazz every night and resembles a stateroom on a luxury cruiser of yore. On the other hand, Cable Car is long and narrow (seating perhaps 30) and boasts the best hamburgers and martinis in town. But both appear to be unsinkable, with the former having just celebrated its 30th year of business and the latter its 20th -- both anniversaries falling this month.
A scant three years ago, Jimmy opened a smaller, more-intimate bar upstairs from Windjammer called the Wharf. It seats 10 at the bar and around 20 at tables to cater to the overflow of customers from downstairs, while also serving as a bridge from where he can oversee his entire operations.