I was in Yokohama in 2013 as a tourist and returning here to work is a bit of a shock to the system. The pace of life is hectic and coping with the crowd everywhere is often disconcerting. And this despite the courtesy and politeness of the Japanese! The cavernous underground walkways at the Yokohama station, at B1 and B2 levels, through well signed, took some getting used to. There there are also ground level and upper ground level walkways between Yokohama station and the Minatormirai area, a spider network linking the station with shopping malls and offices. It is possible to lose one's way and encounter a new route everyday. At night time, at about 22:00 when the shops are closing, the density of the crowd diminishes, and it is then possible to take stock of the space.
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| The walkway linking Yokohama Station to Nissan HQ This is a daily scene when I finish work typically well after 21:00 |
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| The walkway from another angle. The luminescence in the background is the Nissan HQ. The car showroom exhibits a whole range of vehicles not seen in the UK. |
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| View of Yokohama Bay from hotel window |
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| Sunset from hotel window, with Mt Fuji in the background. This is the only occasion that I was able to see the sunset on account of the long working hours |
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| Cherry blossoms in the city centre, Yokohama I was on way to the dry cleaner and this cheered me up. |
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| An unusual sight of a barge in the city centre, Yokohama |
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| Yokohama near the Station with the unmistakable sign of Takashiyama department store in the background. This is a high end department store with all the well-known global labels, but often stocking only Japanese sizes (i.e. small) |
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| Mural in the underground network near Yokohama Station |
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| Young girls seen hanging out in one of the many malls at the Yokohama Station. The variety of malls, shops and goods make one dizzy and giddy. |
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| Waiting for the shinkensen at Shin-Yokohama, or was it Shin-Osaka? The Japanese public transport system is noted for its punctuality. |
