Date &Time: Monday, October 21, 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Spots: Yokohama Minato Mirai 21, Nihon-odori street, Yamashita Park, Nissan Yokohama Plant, Bankoku Bridge, and Kyuyoko Gallery
Visitor: Farida, an English-Asian Indian, originally from Zambia
Guide: Sayori, a KSGG member
Language: English
Farida, who used to work as an elementary school teacher in the U.K., has traveled various countries after retirement. This was her first travel to Japan and she was to stay here for about three weeks. She is one of those who wants to see as many things as possible. During this travel, she visited Yokosuka City and Nissan Oppama Plant there guided by another member of KSGG on October 18. On this day she strolled around Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 and Yamashita Park in the morning, and visited Nissan Yokohama Plant in the afternoon.
From Sakuragicho Station, Farida and Sayori, the guide, got on the city loop bus Akai Kutsu and left for Yokohama Hammerhead, a complex including a passenger terminal, a shopping center, and a hotel built in 2019. From Yokohama Hammerhead, they headed for Red Brick Warehouse, which was built in the early 20th century as a “bonded warehouse” for temporarily storing imported goods before customs clearance, and was renovated as a cultural and commercial facility in 2002. Around Nihon-odori street, Farida and Sayori saw Yokohama Three Towers (Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, Yokohama Customs, and Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall). Farida was interested in their nick names: The King, The Queen, and The Jack. Then Farida and Sayori got on Akai Kutsu again and stepped off the bus at the bus stop of Yokohama Chinatown to call at a famous hotel in Yokohama, Hotel New Grand*1. The two of them walked to Yamashita Park in front of the hotel and saw NYK HIKAWAMARU, a cargo-passenger liner built in 1930 for the Japan-Seatle line, moored at the Port of Yokohama. About NYK HIKAWAMARU, Sayori explained its history that this ship sent the Jewish people, who had come to Japan escaping the Nazis persecution, to the U.S. Farida was very impressed with this story. Farida enjoyed the charms of Yokohama to the fullest, viewing the landscape with Yokohama Bay Bridge and the Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal. Farida seemed to be satisfied with both the atmosphere of old Yokohama and that of new Yokohama.
Every time she found manhole covers designed with the Nipponmaru or the Landmark Tower, Farida snapped shots of them with her smartphone. Farida found value in the designs of manhole covers, which surprised Sayori.
In the afternoon, Farida and Sayori visited Nissan Yokohama Plant and carefully observed the displays of car engines and the demonstration of how to assemble automobiles. In the evening, Farida and Sayori went back to Sakuragicho Station. Farida took pictures of the night view of Minato Mirai 21 from Bankoku Bridge. She was enchanted by the view and said, “It’s so beautiful!” At the end of this tour, Sayori guided Farida at Kyuyoko Gallery near Sakuragicho Station, where the Type 110 steam locomotive is exhibited. About the Type 110 steam locomotive, Sayori explained, “This steam locomotive was first imported from the U.K. and is the existing oldest steam locomotive in Japan. It went into service on a line connecting Shimbashi (Tokyo) and Yokohama when Japan’s first railway opened in 1872.” Farida seemed to be impressed with the story on the steam locomotive which remained in front of her.
*1 Hotel New Grand opened in 1927 and, in its long history, many historic figures including General MacArthur, Charlie Chaplin, and Babe Ruth stayed.
