31 Mei 2012

Yokohama's Minato-no-mieru-oka Park

Yokohama Bay Area Parks 1

Oleh Tomoko Kamishima

Community writer

From this park on the hill, you have a great view of Yokohama Bay Bridge.

The park has large numbers of flower beds that are in bloom all year.

Pleasant little paths crisscross the park.

This is an observation deck. From here, you can see the bridge.

The ruins of a former foreign settlement building destroyed in the 1923 earthquake.

This boardwalk is a nice little touch, and great for walking.

The park is bordered by the former British Council.

What would a park be without a fountain?!

There are six pleasant parks alongside Yokohama Bay. The park furthest to the east is Minato-no-mieru-oka Park. This park is located within the original foreign settlement in Yamate, and sits on a hilltop overlooking the bay (see the video). Yokohama city opened the area as a public park in 1962. After Yokohama Port was opened in 1858, Japanese exclusionists sometimes attacked foreigners when they were outside the settlement. British and French troops were then stationed here to protect their citizens. However, nowadays we can enjoy this park with its roses and other flowers in spring, a nice sea breeze in summer, and a beautiful view of the bay throughout the year. An index of this series is here.