We usually pay attention to the elegant business district side of Yokohama. But Yokohama Port has been a trading port since it opened in 1859. It is home to 263 berths with 37559 ships arriving a year. It is one of the busiest ports in the world, consistently ranking in the top 25-30 ports worldwide.
If you are interested in the industrial side of Yokohama Port, you might enjoy visiting Honmoku–futo Wharf, D-Jetty. It is accessible by bus and has some harbor facilities that are open to the public. In the park, there is a tower with observatory, and a fishing pier.
Yokohama Port Symbol Tower
The practical role of this tower is to send signals and information to ships sailing in the port. But the tower has an observatory and anyone can go up during the daytime. The tower itself is 58.5 meters high and has radar and an antenna on the top. The observatory is at the 36.5-meter level. After going up the stairs, you’ll reach the simple observatory. There are several seats to relax in while enjoying the view. Around the tower, there is a semicircular corridor providing a great view of the bay as well as the industrial wharf area.
I like to see the well-ordered colorful containers and giant cranes here. And it’s also a good place to see the Bay Bridge with the Minato-mirai skyscrapers in the background. From the observatory of the tower, you can view the entire bay area of Yokohama and Tokyo.
Honmoku Fishing Pier
The total length of this fishing pier is 1300 meters. The pier faces Tokyo Bay with the Boso Peninsula (Chiba) directly in front of you, and the Miura Peninsula to the south. You can enjoy fishing throughout the year. Sardine, mackerel, black bass, and sea bass are commonly caught. Fishing tickets are 900 yen for adults, 450 yen for school kids. An entrance fee of 100 yen is charged for people who just want to look around and enjoy the sights.
If you want to go fishing there, please check weather conditions before you go at this website: Honmoku Fishing Pier. If it’s windy, some of the jetties might be closed.
