Yokohama Harbor, Japan - A Beautiful Place to Stroll

I spent a little over a week in Yokohama, Japan and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Several days were spent in a class, and the rest of the time I enjoyed the respite from Colorado snows.  Mostly I enjoyed the sun on the esplanade adjacent to Yokohama harbor.

I spent the first night at a hotel on one side of the harbor because the hotel near where the class was being held did not have a room for me the first night.  These piers could be seen from my first hotel room.

Piers in Yokohama Harbor.

You could also see this dock with its neatly spaced tug boats.  We thought it might be a military dock because of the spaciousness, precision, and uniformity of the boats.  There was also a boat docked at the end of this pier which had a coast guard kind of look about it.  But once we realized that they were tug boats, it appeared to be more of a working dock, but immaculately clean and neat!

Tug Boats at Rest in Yokohama Harbor.

When I left my room in the morning to meet my friend, Kiara, for breakfast, I found this bag hanging on my doorknob with the enclosed newspaper.  I don't know if I was expected or allowed to keep the bag, but as I didn't need it to carry the paper to breakfast in, I left it in the room.

Newspaper and the Bag It Was Delivered In.

The club room where we had breakfast overlooked an amusement park.  You may have seen pictures of the Ferris Wheel on Facebook.  It is beautiful at night with loads of changing colored lights.  The roller coaster (pink track) runs around the amusement park and then dips "underground" in the middle of this pool of water!

Pink Roller Coaster Track.

This is the front entrance to the second hotel I stayed in.  I didn't see it when I arrived as the taxi drop off is at the back of the hotel, totally enclosed so that you do not have to get wet if it is raining.

Front Entrance of the Hotel Monterey Yokohama.

The sidewalk had tiles embedded periodically.  Some were groups of 9 like this.  Others were single tiles.

Sidewalk Tiles.

 Most signs were in Japanese, with some English "subtitles."  One wonders what all the rest of the sign says.  Perhaps it cites the appropriate ministry or office entrusted with enforcing the sign.  Or perhaps a notice of the fine involved.  But I suspect that it is nothing to do with fines.  They simply point out the behavious which is expected and assume cooperation.

Fishing that involves casting a fishing line is prohibited.

As in all seaside locations, feeding seagulls is not a good idea!

Please do not feed the pigeons, gulls and other birds.

 This sign had no English "subtitle."  I assume it must have said "Don't step on the grass!"  It was on the rope around a section that appeared to have been recently replanted, with the grass seed covered by mats.

Untranslated Sign.

Apparently there are crows in all parts of the world!  Note the two boys on the right in their school uniforms.  The woman at the left is not a student as she was not wearing a uniform.  It amazed me to find that all the people walking along the esplanade wore either black and white clothes or white and black clothes.  There was very little color in the clothes themselves, although the shoes the school kids wore were mostly sneakers in bright colors including orange!

Crows in Yokohama Harbor.

 This "rest house" did have public rest rooms - which I did not visit.  It was also a convenience store with a small cafeteria kind of place.  There were tables outside for eating what you bought inside - or brought from home.  Many people took advantage of the sunny days to sit at the tables or on the benches to enjoy the sun.  I spent a pleasant interlude with a retired Japanese man who shared my bench one day.  Our conversation was a bit slow - on his part because he was searching for English words.  On my part to be sure he understood each thing I said.  I am still not entirely sure about the conversation.  He said he had been retired for 25 years, but didn't look that old.  So either they retire early or he mistook my question and had worked for 25 years before retiring.

Rest House and Convenience Store at One End of the Esplanade.

There were several groups of small children playing in the park.  Their hats were one of the few bits of color seen in clothing.  It looked like each class had its own color hat.  I saw yellow, pink and blue groups in addition to this group of "red hats."

School Children in Matching Hats.

There were several artists drawing along the esplanade.  And one of our instructors who jogs said he saw a group of people exercising in the park.  He would have liked to join them, but, being the instructor, thought he ought not to stop or he'd be late!

Artist in the Park.

 I love this juxtaposition of geometry.

Benches in the Park.

This backpack tree was next to a grassy area where a group of schoolboys was playing tag.  Apparently some of the boys were willing to put their bags on the ground, while others were not.

Backpack Tree.

 And, finally, I loved how the cranes next to the container ship echoed the lines of the suspension bridge cables.

Suspension Bridge, Container Ship, and Dockside Cranes.

Next week the Yokohama Flower Show.