Only 35 minutes by train from Shibuya by train is the largest Chinatown in Asia, Yokohama Chinatown (chuukagai).
Upon entering in through one of the gates which surround Chinatown, it instantly feels as though you have entered into the hustle and bustle of a Chinese Market, but rather than shopping most of the visitors come here to eat. There is definitely no lack of food, with hundreds of restaurants and a wide variety of Chinese dishes, but do not expect to get a seat quickly as many of the more popular restaurants have queues stretching down the street. (Lucky there are more street venders than visitors selling you various snacks and pies!)
Must do: While in Chinatown it is definitely worth buying some Amaguri (sweet chestnuts) from one of the many street vendors. While the prices don’t differ greatly from vendor to vendor it is a good idea to look out for freshly made warm chestnuts, these are always the best.
Another must buy is a ‘man.’ No I do not mean they have men on sale! ‘man’ is a Chinese steamed cake and is often filled with meat (nikuman) or sweet red beans (anman). Although these can be purchased almost anywhere in Japan it is always nice to have an authentic Chinese experience, and the ones in Chinatown are large so good value for money.
Must Buy: Chinatown has many supermarkets offering Chinese food products. The best part about these supermarkets is the price! Dried fruit, nuts and fruits are just some of the products, which usually in a normal supermarket around Japan would be a high price for a low quantity but here the opposite is true.
How to get there: Shibuya station-Motomachi chuukagai station (minatomirai line)
For a more scenic route try taking the ferry from Yokohama station to Yamshita park (15 minutes) and then a 5 minute walk to Chinatown.
