Home Base

This week, I’m not writing the article. Since a friend from Niigata prefecture came over to Yokohama recently, I decided to use this opportunity to have a second opinion on this city I came to love. I asked her to give her impression of Yokohama as well as what weighed in choosing Yokohama as home base for her trip to the Kanto region.

When I arrived in Japan last August to start my job as an assistant English teacher with the JET Programme, I knew that I would want to travel as much as possible within this beautiful country. This is my first time in Japan, after a longstanding interest in the culture, so I told myself I`d make the most of it. I live up in northern Niigata prefecture, in a friendly rural town. I decided that one of my first trips would be bustling urban Tokyo - for a good change of pace - but when I started planning it, I realized there were many other things I wanted to see in the region as well. A Japanese teacher at the high school I work at recommended Hakone, with its museums and unique geological features. Further research made me decide I`d want to see Yokohama and Kamakura as well. I had one week to travel in. So how should I plan it?

I must admit when I chose Yokohama as a home base I was slightly concerned about commuting into Tokyo for my sightseeing and shopping. I was pleasantly surprised to find the commute was no problem at all. There were trains every few minutes, for very affordable rates, and they usually weren`t even crowded. Plus, starting the day with a piping hot nikuman from one of Chinatown`s amazing bun shops (I tried three and all were good) was fantastic, especially in the early November chill. I usually spent a bit of time in Yokohama in the mornings, and then headed into Tokyo for whatever I had planned in the afternoon.

But for me, what really shone about choosing Yokohama as my starting point was how convenient it was for all my sightseeing, not only Tokyo. Hakone and Kamakura were much quicker, easier, and cheaper to get to from Yokohama than they would have been from Tokyo. And as much as I enjoyed Yokohama and Tokyo, some of my best memories of this trip involve being out in nature, from the peaceful hiking trails of Kamakura to the awe-inspiring volcanic wasteland of Owakudani in the Hakone region.

This trip wouldn`t have been the same if I hadn`t spent time in all four spots. And because of Yokohama`s central location and convenient public transit, traveling around Kanto was a breeze.

That`s why I recommend Yokohama as a home base to anyone wanting to travel in the region. Beyond the city`s own appeal, I think it`s also the best place to stay if you want to make the most of the many wonderful touristic attractions Kanto has to offer.

(Cette page en français)