Japan 2019: All you can see, do and eat in Yokohama IF YOU are heading over to Yokohama for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, you are in for a rugby treat. There are a bucket-load of incredible fixtures to be held at the International Stadium Yokohama. Ireland face Scotland there, as do the hosts, Japan. New Zealand meet South Africa and England play France. And that’s just in the group stages. Both semi-finals and the final will be there too. But there is so much more you need to know about Japan’s second largest city. So here is the down-low on the site where so many fans will pour through in 2019.  WHERE IS IT? Yokohama is the capital of the Kanagawa prefecture. It is situated just half an hour away from Tokyo’s international airport, Haneda. A port town situated on the eastern curve of Japan’s Honshu island, Yokohama has a unique, welcoming history. When Japan was opened up to allowed gaijin (non-Japanese), to trade and live in the country in 1854, Kanagawa was the place. By 1859 there was a sizeable settlement, particularly form the UK, and you can still see the influence today, with wide boulevards in the European style. It is also the birthplace of Japanese rugby. The local Yokohama Country & Athletic Club have documentary proof that their side (which went by a different name at the time) first started playing rugby on 26 January 1866, which makes them the oldest rugby team in Asia. That club was then absorbed by the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club, set up by Scotsman JP Mollison in 1868, and still play today. WHAT TO DO AND SEE? The rugby is a given. If you visit the International Stadium Yokohama in the Shin-Yokohama region, you will find all the trappings of a modern stadium in a walkable location and it has good pedigree – it hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup final. However there is so much more. Sticking with sports: did you know that baseball is huge in Japan? Posters of the heroes of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars can be seen all over town and their stadium is an impressive sight. Yokohama DeNA BayStars came oh-so close to winning the national title this year… The Minato Mirai is the thriving business and commercial heart of Yokohama, but more than anything else it is a visually imposing waterfront. If you take a late-night cruise, you will see the permanently moored Sail Training Ship NIPPON MARU, the Yokohama Bay Bridge, the Kishamichi Promenade and the looming Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel, as well as the commanding Landmark Tower – Japan’s second-tallest building. There are plenty of other attractions for all ages. If it’s nature you want, then there’s the Yokohama Sankeien Garden, a gorgeous green sprawl with historic buildings and pagodas dotted around the grounds. As breathtaking as it is wonderful, there is a sense of tranquillity as you wander the grounds. If a small distraction for the kids is in … Continue reading Japan 2019: All you can see, do and eat in Yokohama