Yamate Bluff and Motomachi

Yamate, known as the Bluff, is the hillside neighbourhood above Chinatown and Motomachi where foreign residents built their homes after the port opened. The area still has a distinctly European and American flavour, with elegant houses, a few churches, tennis courts and quiet lanes lined with trees. Below it, Motomachi shopping street began as a place where Japanese craftspeople served the foreign community and is now a pedestrian street of boutiques, cafes and bakeries. A walk through the two areas gives you a calmer, more residential picture of Yokohama, and it is a pleasant counterweight to the busy waterfront.

A guided history and nature walk takes you through the highlights in a sensible order. A typical route begins at a lookout park with views over the harbor and the Bay Bridge, visits the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, where early residents from many countries are buried, and passes historic houses such as Berrick Hall, a Spanish-style mansion with a courtyard and pool.

The walk continues down to Motomachi for shopping and a coffee break, and some tours extend by bus to Sankeien Garden. A guide adds stories about the people who lived here, from sea captains to missionaries and merchants.

Architecture is the star. Several residences from the 1920s and 1930s have been preserved and opened to the public, some free and some for a small fee, and they show how foreign residents blended their own styles with Japanese materials. Look for stained glass, timber detailing, wide verandas and fireplaces. The Yamate Museum and a church or two add context. The hillside lanes are quiet, and the sea breeze makes this a comfortable area to walk even in warm weather, though there are slopes and stairs.

Motomachi is a good place to browse and to eat. The street is known for fashion, leather goods, tableware and sweets shops, many of them family-run for generations. Cafes and bakeries are plentiful, and some serve the Western-style cakes that are a Yokohama tradition. The area is a short walk from Motomachi-Chukagai Station, so you can combine it with Chinatown. Note that some historic houses close one weekday or during winter changeovers, so check opening times, and wear comfortable shoes for the slopes.

Two practical suggestions help. First, walk the route uphill in the morning, because the climb is gentler when it is cool, and finish downhill at Motomachi where you can sit and eat. Second, bring a camera for architectural details, such as turrets, balconies, ironwork and stained glass, since the light on the hillside is soft in the morning. Many houses allow interior visits only at certain hours, so check the day's schedule before you decide how long to stay at each stop.

If you prefer to skip the hill, take a taxi to the top viewpoint and walk down. The descent is gentler, takes about forty minutes at a leisurely pace and lets you see the same sights with half the effort. Wear a hat in summer, because some lanes have little shade, and carry a bottle of water. Cafes at the top and the bottom of the route make convenient rest stops, and public toilets are placed at the main parks.