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Neighborhood · Yokohama, Kanagawa
Yamate
The hill where foreigners lived after the port opened, with Western-style houses open to visitors, the foreigners’ cemetery and the Minato no Mieru Oka Park viewpoint.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
A look at the place
Yamate in pictures
These pictures are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs. They may differ from the place.
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Discover
About Yamate
Yamate, also called Bluff, is the hill south of central Yokohama where Western merchants and diplomats began to live from the 1860s onward, after the port opened. The winding streets, churches and wooden houses with verandas and chimneys give the neighborhood a different atmosphere from the rest of Japan.
Several Western-style houses, rebuilt or relocated there after the 1923 earthquake, are open to visitors at no charge, furnished with period pieces: Berrick Hall, Ehrismann House, Bluff No. 18, the British House of Yokohama and the diplomat’s house in the Yamate Italian Garden. In December each house is usually decorated for Christmas with themes from different countries.
The Foreign General Cemetery contains graves of people from dozens of nationalities who lived and died in Yokohama since the 19th century, and has a small museum. Minato no Mieru Oka Park, the “hill from which you can see the harbor,” has a viewpoint over the bay and Yokohama Bay Bridge, rose gardens and the Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature.
At the foot of the hill, Motomachi shopping street connects Yamate to Chinatown. You can climb by stairways from Motomachi or by bus. The walk pairs well with Yamashita Park, just a few minutes on foot.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
2 to 3 hours for the houses, the cemetery and the viewpoint.
Best time
May and October, for the park’s roses; December, for the houses decorated for Christmas. The Western houses usually close one day a month and at year-end: check before you go.
How to get there
Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line is at the foot of the hill; the walk up to Minato no Mieru Oka Park takes about 5 minutes. Ishikawacho Station on the JR is near the other end of the neighborhood.
Tip
Climb via Minato no Mieru Oka Park, continue past the Western houses and descend the stairway to Motomachi Street, ending in Chinatown.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Yamate
What to see in Yamate, Yokohama?
The Western-style houses open to visitors, the General Cemetery for Foreigners and the Minato no Mieru Oka Park viewpoint.
Do you need to pay to enter the Western-style houses in Yamate?
Most city-run Western-style houses do not charge admission.
How to get to Yamate?
By Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line, then about a 5-minute uphill walk to Minato no Mieru Oka Park.
When are Yamate’s houses decorated for Christmas?
Generally in December, each decorated with a different country theme.
How much time to allow for Yamate?
Two to three hours.
Beyond the guide
