Japanese Spring 2019 Friday (金曜日) 29th March
At last I have cracked the logistics of leaving Yokohama station to get into town. You do not just walk out on to the road and “head into” town. There is an easier way. You leave by the East Exit and follow an above-the-street walkway. This leads you through at least two department stores....er...hello!.....
...... over a bus station and through the global sales rooms of Nissan. Once you have done this you are delivered safely into a nice broad street near the Art Gallery. You pass a huge bookshop....
with a café and then you are soon at the waterfront. Voilà!
The Nissan HQ is a shocking temple to the car............
It could have been a smaller version of the Frankfurt Auto Messe/Trade fair. Attendants, all dressed in white with red stripes, drift around, occasionally making announcements.
Young mothers let their kids play in the luxury cars.
I had a look at some of the futuristic models on display...all electric...
and ready to whisk you away....
As it is a freezing day (11°c) I’m glad to be indoors. Outside the cherry blossoms have started, but they will need more heat to really get going. I especially liked a little tree which was sporting two colours…..
Just learnt another word(s) - お まち ください - please wait. I saw it in a lift.
Spent the rest of the day in warm places. That lovely bookshop (except that, surprise, surprise, all the books were in Japanese)….
The Port Memorial Hall…built to commemorate the opening of the port in the 19thc to foreigners...
A Newspaper Museum...
........which had a rather harrowing exhibition of Japan's ventures into Korea and China, and a huge printing press....
The building itself was pretty grand....
I took advantage of the time zone to chat to a friend in China (only one hour behind Japan). Then I sampled some tasty food and Yebisu craft beer….pretty good!...but expensive at 1.060 Yen (about € 7.80)
I end today's blog with some nights shots of Yokohama....
Pedestrian precinct....
Waterfront.....
The Landmark Tower.