What is Kannai best known for?

Kannai is Yokohama's historic downtown district, sitting at the core of what was once the city's original foreign settlement zone. It usually suits travelers who want a well-connected city base with a clear neighborhood identity rather than a purely sightseeing-only stop.

Is Kannai a good place to stay in Yokohama?

Yes, Kannai is a good place to stay in Yokohama if you want a well-connected base with restaurants, transit, and straightforward access to the rest of Yokohama. It is less ideal if you want the city's busiest sightseeing streets directly outside your hotel from morning to night.

Is Kannai better in the day or at night?

Kannai works well across both day and evening, but the atmosphere changes by hour. Daytime is better for cafés, shrines, shops, or nearby landmarks, while the evening is when the area's dining and neighborhood atmosphere become more noticeable.

What nearby areas pair well with Kannai?

Kannai pairs well with other nearby parts of Yokohama. It is easy to combine with another central district because you can use it as either a meal stop, a short neighborhood walk, or part of a wider day built around transit.

Yokohama

Kannai (関内), Yokohama

3.7 (1095)Train StationTransit StationTransportation ServicePoint Of InterestEstablishment

Última actualización 25 ago 2026

Kannai is Yokohama's historic downtown district, sitting at the core of what was once the city's original foreign settlement zone. The name literally means "within the barrier," referring to the gates that once separated the foreign trading quarter from the rest of the city after the port opened in 1859.

The district played a central role in Japan's modernization during the Meiji era, as Western merchants, diplomats, and traders established offices, banks, and residences here. Many of the brick and stone buildings from that period still stand today, giving Kannai a distinctive architectural character unlike most Japanese city centers.

The most prominent landmark in the area is Yokohama Stadium, a major outdoor baseball ground and the home stadium of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The stadium sits within Yokohama Park, a pleasant green space in the middle of the district that is popular for picnics and leisure, especially during cherry blossom season.

Directly adjacent to the park is the Yokohama City Hall and several important civic buildings, reflecting Kannai's long-standing role as the administrative heart of the city.

The Bashamichi (Horse Carriage Road) district within Kannai is one of the most atmospheric streets in all of Yokohama. Wide, European-style boulevards lined with restored brick buildings, antique gas lamp posts, and specialty cafes give the area a strong nostalgic character. It is one of the best-preserved examples of Meiji-era Western-influenced streetscape in Japan.

Along Bashamichi, the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History occupies a magnificent 1904 neo-baroque building that once served as a bank. The building itself is considered one of the finest examples of Western-style architecture from the Meiji period remaining in the country.

The Yokohama Archives of History and the nearby Silk Museum reflect Kannai's deep connection to the silk trade, which was the backbone of Yokohama's early economy. Japan exported vast quantities of raw silk through this port, and the industry shaped the city's early growth and wealth.

Kannai is also well known for its jazz culture. Yokohama has one of Japan's most passionate jazz scenes, and Kannai sits at its center with numerous live jazz bars and clubs concentrated in the area around Bashamichi and the adjacent Isezakicho shopping street.

Isezakicho is a long covered shopping arcade running south from Kannai, one of Yokohama's oldest and most traditional shopping streets. It offers a more local, unpretentious shopping experience than the tourist-heavy areas closer to the waterfront.

The Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall, known locally as Jack, is one of Kannai's most recognizable landmarks. Its distinctive clock tower, completed in 1917, is one of the so-called Three Towers of Yokohama alongside King (the Prefectural Office) and Queen (the Customs House), all of which stand within the Kannai area.

The district is easily reached via Kannai Station, served by both the JR Negishi Line and the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line. It is also a short walk from Bashamichi Station on the Minatomirai Line, which deposits visitors directly into the heart of the historic streetscape.

Website

www.jreast.co.jp

Resumen

Dirección

1 Chome Minatocho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0017, Japón

Preguntas frecuentes

Reseñas de viajeros

Excelente lugar y buen ambiente para comer y platicar

Armando L

24 nov 2017

Ubicada en el distrito de Naka, en la ciudad de Yokohama, esta estación es servida tanto por JR East como por el metro municipal de Yokohama. Inaugurada en 1964 como estación de los Ferrocarriles Nacionales Japoneses (JNR), el servicio de metro comenzó en 1976. Cerca de la estación se encuentra el Estadio de Yokohama, sede del equipo profesional de béisbol Yokohama DeNA BayStars, lo que la convierte en un animado punto de encuentro para los aficionados durante la temporada. La estación está decorada con gorras de los BayStars y la melodía de salida es el himno del equipo. Esto demuestra un fuerte compromiso con la promoción de los BayStars como símbolo local. En los alrededores de la estación se encuentran diversas atracciones de Yokohama, como la Oficina del Gobierno de la Prefectura de Kanagawa, el Barrio Chino de Yokohama, Isezaki-cho (un distrito de entretenimiento tradicional que representa a Yokohama) y Kotobuki-cho (un distrito conocido por sus trabajadores temporales). Cabe señalar que el nombre de la estación, Kannai, es un topónimo común derivado de la zona portuaria de Yokohama durante su apertura al comercio exterior; no es un topónimo administrativo oficial.

Hace cuarenta años, solía ir al cine Bashamichi o al Estadio de Yokohama con entradas que me regalaban con el periódico. Por aquel entonces, había personas sin hogar (se les llamaba de otra manera) en las escaleras, así que la escena era muy diferente a la de ahora, pero creo que el ambiente caótico no ha cambiado.

Esta es una estación de JR. Está a dos estaciones de la estación de Yokohama, pero se encuentra en la llamada zona central de Yokohama. Por lo tanto, hay muchas atracciones turísticas. Barrio Chino, Estadio de Yokohama, Parque Yamashita, Isezakicho y más. La usé para ver un partido de los Baystars en el Estadio de Yokohama. Si sales por el lado sur de la estación, el Estadio de Yokohama está justo enfrente. En los alrededores se encuentran el Bulevar Japón y el Barrio Chino, y una vez que pases por el Barrio Chino, llegarás al Parque Yamashita, con el mar extendiéndose ante ti, como es típico de la ciudad portuaria de Yokohama. Si sales por el lado norte y caminas un poco, llegarás a Isezakicho, que también es divertido por la noche.

Este edificio fue antiguamente el Ayuntamiento de Yokohama. Ahora es un nuevo centro de actividad con un hotel Hoshino Resorts, edificios de oficinas y diversas tiendas. La imagen muestra una parte del antiguo ayuntamiento, ahora utilizada como vestíbulo del hotel. También muestra una sección del muro de cerámica que antaño adornaba todo el vestíbulo del ayuntamiento, obra de Shindo Tsuji, quien incluso instaló allí su propio horno.