Originally home to a huge shipbuilding dock, Yokohama's Minato Mirai 21 area is today a great attraction for day and nighttime visitors alike. The "21" of Minato Mirai's name stands for the 21st century, but plans to redevelop the coastal area were underway by 1965, just as Japan's economy started soaring the year after the Tokyo Olympic Games. The area is studded with impressive structures, including the dramatic Yokohama Landmark Tower, just east of Yokohama Station, and the Red Brick Warehouse in the Shinko area.
Getting to this exciting spot is now easier than ever: The launching of the Minato Mirai subway line on Feb 1 was a welcome development that takes visitors right to the heart of the area. Until then most train stations serving Yokohama were located inland, though the city's main places of interest are concentrated on its seaside. Running right below such tourist spots as the Queen's Square Yokohama, Chinatown and the Motomachi shopping boulevard, the Minato Mirai Line links Shibuya to Motomachi-Chukagai in just 35 minutes.
Though trains are faster, a more exciting way of approaching Minato Mirai is by sea. Ferry boats leave from the Sea Bass Terminal located at the East Exit of Yokohama Station at the tip of Sogo Department Store's parking lot. The boats operate from 10 in the morning to 7 at night, and the fee for a one-way ticket from Yokohama Station to Minato Mirai is 350 yen.