A former fishing village that flourished into a bustling port town, Yokohama is now Japan's second-most populous city and has a rich history as one of the first ports in Japan to be opened to foreign trade following the country's sakoku (closed country) period (1639-1853).
Despite being only a 20-minute train ride from Tokyo's Shinagawa Station, Yokohama feels like a true escape from the capital, with a downtown area that has a charm all of its own.