When I was walking to Osanbashi Pier, I noticed that the asphalt road changed to a wooden deck leading me up a slope to a grassy hilltop.
It was only then — as I caught sight of a white passenger ship and shining blue waters — that I realized I was on the roof of the Yokohama International Passenger Terminal. Sea breezes and careening sea gulls truly made me aware I was on the margin of the mighty Pacific Ocean.
The Osanbashi terminal (meaning "big pier") is these days not only a necessary facility for ship passengers, but it's also become a symbolic feature of the Yokohama waterfront for locals and visitors alike.