Yamashita-Koen Park, Yokohama

Written By Daisei Iketani

In this photo shoot, my border collie and I visit Yamashita-Koen Park and locations close to Osanbashi Peir on the waterfront of the Port of Yokohama, in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan for cityscape and nightscape photography.

春のの都市景観写真なら、神奈川県の横浜市中区にある、「山下公園・大さん橋」をおすすめします！

Visiting this park in early summer after the rainy season presented a number of flowered areas slowly drying up or dying as the primary blooming season, especially for the roses, had passed.

Regardless, other flowers in full bloom were readily available making sure that visitors can relax with a broad palette of colors and textures. Today, the park had visitors including photographers, portrait photographers, skateboarders, elderly men listening to the radio, young couples on a date, elderly couples walking for fitness, junior high and high school students hanging out after school, and owners walking their dogs and chatting it up with other dog parents.

First, a little history:

The park is actually land that was reclaimed from the ocean. The hotels across the street from the park used to have just a wide street separating the hotels and office buildings from the ocean’s waves as they pounded against the seawall.

After the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed most of Yokohama, the issue arose as to where to dispose of all the debris from the earthquake. Fortunately, a Scotsman advisor to Yokohama Mayor Ariyoshi Chuichi (Marshall Martin), persuaded the government to dump the debris into the bay behind a wall to create a grand park that would stretch the full length of the port-side waterfront. And thus, Yamashita-Koen Park was born.

After the war, the entire park and nearby high-end hotels fell under the control of the U.S. Armed Forces until 1960. Across the street from the park is the Hotel New Grand where General MacArthur spent his first night on his arrival in Japan on August 30, 1945. Today, the hotel maintains most of its grandeur from years gone by.

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Dock Lighthouse and Floating Pier
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 1/320 sec. at ƒ/5.6

Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan, offers clear views of the Port of Yokohama and all of the related floating docks, harbor lights, berthing, etc. for the museum ship NYK Hikawa Maru cruise liner ship and sea bus loading docks.

Retired Ocean Liner and Lovers on Park Bench
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
58 mm ISO 100 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/6.3

Regardless of the time of day, the benches of Yamashita Park facing the waterfront are enjoyed by young mothers looking to take a break, elderly couples out for a short walk, young embracing couples, elderly men listening to the AM radio broadcast, young skateboarders at night waiting for pedestrians to disappear, and more.

The first time I boarded the NYK Hikawa Maru cruise ship was back in the mid-80s. I hope to go back to visit again and take photos when I’m able to leave my dog at home.

Before the war, this ship was the most luxurious means of travel to the U.S. with passengers that included members of the Japanese imperial family, Charlie Chaplin, and Babe Ruth to name a few.

Cruise Ships Docked at Osanbashi Pier
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
80 mm ISO 100 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/10

The Royal Wing cruise ship (foreground) takes passengers on daily two-hour cruises around the Port of Yokohama. The ship is especially popular for hosting weddings, anniversaries, lunch cruises, and especially the dinner cruise that departs from Osanbashi Pier offering passengers beautiful views of the nighttime skyline.

The Asuka II ship, with a passenger capacity of 872, sails up and down the eastern coastline of Japan on 3- or 4-day cruises. Although my office is not that close to Osanbashi Pier, I can hear the blast of this ship’s horn when she leaves the dock at least once or twice a week. If I were any closer, it might cause my heart to skip a beat!

Long-Span Cable-Stayed Bridge
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
53 mm ISO 100 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/6.3

Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan, offers fantastic views of Yokohama Bay Bridge--the gateway to the Port of Yokohama for ships sailing in and out of Tokyo Bay. The bridge has a cable-stayed design with an 860-meter/2,820-foot span that crosses Tokyo Bay vehicular traffic quicker access to Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture.

Completed in September 1989, the bridge is high enough to accommodate the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise liner. Twenty years later, however, mega cruise ships became too tall to pass under the bridge and now dock farther away from the central piers of Yokohama.

Mission Bells of El Camino Real
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 1/10 sec. at ƒ/6.3

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Yokohama and San Diego sister-city relationship, the city of San Diego gifted a series of bells in 1983 that were exact replicas of the original bells found along the 600-mile route called “El Camino Real” that stretches from San Diego to San Francisco.

Guardian of Water Fountain
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
40 mm ISO 100 for 0.5 sec. at ƒ/11

Replica of the original Guardian of Water sculpture by artist Donal Hord located in Yokohama’s sister-city of San Diego. San Diego gifted the sculpture to Yokohama in 1960 after Yokohama gifted a traditional Japanese tea room to San Diego that same year.

Warehouse Converted to Fashion Boutique
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
40 mm ISO 100 for 10.0 sec. at ƒ/11

Blue Blue Yokohama, a local fashion store selling in-house brands focused on casual clothes and accessories with an emphasis on denim, has been in operation since July 1996. Located near Osanbashi Pier (Yokohama, Japan) and smaller docks next door, this shop was originally just one of the many warehouses that were built to facilitate the global trade that entered Japan through Yokohama.

Once a heavy-industry and shipbuilding port, many of the older industrial buildings from the post-war era have been converted into fashion boutiques, restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, art studios, and more. This attempt to restore, convert, and preserve older, smaller structures gives many neighborhoods in Yokohama a small-town vibe despite being the 2nd largest city in Japan with a population of over 3.7 million people.

Cruise Ship and Terminal Pier
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 2.0 sec. at ƒ/6.3

A blue-hour shot of Asuka II, which is a cruise liner docked at Osanbashi International Terminal Pier. The Asuka sails out of the Port of Yokohama two or three times a week and makes port visits as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Kyushu.

Waterfront Skyline in Yokohama, Japan
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
80 mm ISO 100 for 240 sec. at ƒ/11

A long-exposure of the Yokohama Minatomirai waterfront skyline as seen from the Zo-no-Hana Breakwater next to Osanbashi Pier. This scene shows icons of Yokohama, including the Yokohama Cosmoworld Ferris wheel, the InterContinental Yokohama Grand hotel, which resembles the shape of a yacht under sail, and the Queen’s Square towers with rooflines resembling rolling waves.

Cruise Ship and Terminal Pier
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 170.0 sec. at ƒ/11

A nightscape shot of Asuka II, which is a cruise liner docked at Osanbashi International Terminal Pier. The Asuka sails out of the Port of Yokohama two or three times a week and makes port visits as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Kyushu.


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Daisei Iketani

Discover Japan’s hidden gems within a day’s drive from Tokyo. From city nightscapes to serene shrines, I capture their beauty and stories—often with my loyal border collie by my side. Explore Japan beyond the guidebooks!

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