Yokohama

Saturday we went down to Yokohama with another couple. I guess what you'd call the downtown area of Yokohama is full of shopping centers, parks, and amusement parks. This year it's the 150th anniversary of Japan opening the port of Yokohama. This was, of course, after Commodore Perry's "black ships" visited Japan and opened the doors for trade with the United States.

For the anniversary Yokohama has converted some local parks and warehouses into exhibit space. One of the more interesting exhibits is a 12m (40ft) tall mechanical spider that was brought from France. About 10 operators climb up on the spider and perform a show where the spider "walks" around the park, raises it's limbs over the crowd, and blows steam out of it's head and abdomen.

One of the world's largest Ferris Wheels also resides in Yokohama. Built in 1989 with a height of 112m (370ft) it was the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world when it was built. The ride takes approximately 15 minutes and provides excellent views of Yokohama.

The parks and exhibits were not really that crowded (by Japan standards), but there was an outdoor concert with a local pop idol being held around 5:30pm so there were throngs of people converging on the area for the concert. We were able to see the concert in full force from up on the Ferris Wheel.

Even without the anniversary exhibits I can see why Yokohama is a popular destination for the weekends. There is a lots to see and do for couples, kids, and families.