Most information is free these days. Thank the internet for that. There are also free print publications like the Yokohama Seasider (though we offer free digital downloads on our website and on ISSUU). Usually, information is free because it’s being monetized somehow. We take ads, for example. On the internet, it’s similar but more complicated. What I’m concerned about, however, is the provenance of free information–who creates it and why. The information we provide is produced locally by people who call Yokohama home. By people who love Yokohama. We’re doing it so you can enjoy a better life here. Thanks…
Author: Seasider
If you have visited all of Hakone’s main tourist spots and want to take a break from crowded trains, or maybe just seek a good way to burn calories, the Yusakamichi Hiking Course should cover you. This 9.5km trail takes you from the Yumoto area to Motohakone on Lake Ashi. Depending on your pace and rest stops, the entire trip will take about four to five hours. Out of Yumoto Station, follow the main road (Route 1) heading toward Miyanoshita. About five minutes out of the station you’ll cross a bridge. Around 50m past the bridge the trail climbs up…
No matter who it is, before starting a new life overseas, people conjure all kinds of images of how it will unfold–images of a life glamorous and exciting, but also not without challenges; of a life stimulated by people from an array of cultural backgrounds, or by friends who are eager to try something new. In reality, life overseas is not just about experiences that far exceed what you imagined. It also has its fair share of disappointment, at least according to Minoru Kai, the director of bilingual preschool Cosmo Global Kids. “Even among Japanese who go through all the…
You may have noticed that we ran several longer, two-page articles in the Yokohama Seasider this year. After testing the waters with those, we’ve decided to commit to the format each issue. Especially when writing about people, we wanted more space to tell their stories. We think this will be more compelling to you, the reader, too. For this issue, for example, we do a spread on the individuals behind the local business networking group Hamahashikai. As we often do in this introduction, they encourage you to get out and explore more neighborhoods of our great city. Two pages is…
Hamahashikai, directly translated as “seaside bridge gathering/council”, is a group of young locals in their 30s and 40s working together to create a network between their respective communities in Yokohama. Every year in November, they hold a major event called the Unga (Canal) Parade, which began seven years ago as an effort to raise awareness, increase utility and revive the transportation system for the canals that run throughout the city. Hamahashikai also aims to create a better canal environment by implanting artificial reefs and conducting research on how to make it cleaner and more efficient. They further plan on using…
When you’re dining at Cafe & Bar Bottle Ship in its nautical-themed white and blue interior with a cocktail in hand, you feel like you’re on board a luxury cruiser. The ceiling was intentionally built low in order to create such an atmosphere, says owner Megumi Shirakawa. She’s joined by manager and bartender Keisuke Furubayashi, who mixes up an array of drinks and entertains his customers with impressive bartending skills. Unsurprisingly, original cocktails are his recommendation (¥700~). One that left me with lingering delight was the loquat fruit cocktail–a tea liqueur infused with the sweet, tangy flavor of loquats. Other…
Sake and soba. It’s a classic combination in some parts of Japan (Ibaraki, for example, comes to mind). And it’s a feature of the menu at the relatively new Ichi in Bashamichi. But there’s much more to the menu than this. Let’s climb the stairs to the elegant interior and have a look… Our search for a sake joint in the neighborhood was what led to our discovery of Ichi so we’ll start here. The selection is not expansive; there were four Kanagawa jizake (local, craft sake), and five sake from other regions of Japan. But the list was well…
Dining with a prime view of the harbor to accompany fine food and drink is always an enticing proposition. Third-floor fusion cuisine restaurant and wine bar Bay Side Bistro 1-1 & The Rooftop offers such scenery from its spot overlooking Zou-no-Hana Park. Add to that a mix of jazz, soul and pop playing from an all vinyl album collection and the ambiance is complete. The kitchen is run by veteran chef Yuzo Terashima. Terashima has dedicated over 50 years of his life to preparing French cuisine, including a five-year stint in Paris. He even speaks some French. The menu is…
The end of June marks the halfway point of the calendar year. With many projects, don’t you assess your progress roughly halfway through? It’s interesting that most of us only use New Year’s to reflect on the previous year, or to make new goals for the upcoming one. But if we tend to measure our lives in years, and our lives are a kind of ongoing project, maybe we should take assessments at halfway points. June usually marks the rainy season in Japan. It’s a quieter, more meditative season–good weather for ruminating. Am I closer to my goals for the…
If you love a classic American meal of cheeseburgers, salty fries, mac ‘n cheese, spicy chicken and spare ribs, all with an ice-cold bottle of beer or Pepsi, you’re in for a treat. MEAT Meets MEAT World Rally 〜U.S.A〜 at COMPASS in Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers is a buffet that serves authentic American cuisine featuring quality meat from the U.S. Besides Western food, COMPASS offers Chinese and Japanese selections during the event such as dumplings, sushi, tempura and tonkatsu (made with tender American pork cutlet) which are must-try. The kitchen crew behind the food counter is there to…