Motomachi Shopping Street, Yokohama

Motomachi Shopping Street is one of Yokohama’s most elegant and historic shopping districts, closely tied to the city’s opening as an international port in 1859. At that time, the area was divided between Japanese businesses and foreign residents, with nearby Yamate becoming home to many people from overseas. Shops soon developed around them, offering Western-style goods, tailoring, bakeries, imported products, and everyday services.

The area changed over time due to natural disasters and outside pressures, but its cosmopolitan character survived. A major street renovation project, carried out from 1979 to 1985, helped shape the polished, pedestrian-friendly district seen today, with brick paving, decorative street lamps, and refined shopfronts that suggest European influence. One of its modern symbols is Fly Through the Light, a 34-foot-tall phoenix-shaped sculpture made from blue stainless-steel pipe.

Motomachi Shopping Street hosts more than 100 shops, offices, and restaurants. Visitors will find fashion boutiques, jewellery stores, long-established local brands, and international names such as Seven Sisters, Lacoste, and Brooks Brothers. Dining options range from elegant full-service restaurants and pastry shops to casual cafés, including Starbucks. The street also offers art galleries, a photography studio, spa salons, and even pet grooming. Compared with nearby Chinatown, Motomachi feels calmer and more refined, making it a good place for window-shopping, coffee breaks, or a slower walk between Chinatown and the Yamate hillside.