With a population of over three million people is Yokohama Japan's second largest city. Yokohama is located less than half an hour south of Tokyo by train, and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan maintained a policy of self-isolation, Yokohama's port was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1859. Consequently, Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities.
Until today, Yokohama remains popular among expats, has one of the world's largest chinatowns and preserves some former Western residences in the Yamate district.
The city of Kamakura is also located in the Kanagawa Prefecture.Kamakura was a rival center of political, economic and cultural power in Japan, when the capital was Kyoto. Kamakura has a beach which, in combination with the temples and the proximity to Tokyo, makes it a popular tourist destination.
