Yokohama

Yokohama, city and port in Japan, capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, on southern Honshu and the western shore of Tokyo Bay, near the city of Tokyo. Yokohama has excellent harbour facilities and is one of the leading ports of Japan. It is an industrial centre with shipyards, oil refineries, and factories that produce chemicals, electrical equipment, processed food, machinery, and motor vehicles. In Yokohama are numerous shrines, temples, and Christian churches, and a number of decorative parks. Among the city's educational institutions are Yokohama National University (1949) and Yokohama City University (1949).

Yokohama was a small fishing village with a population of about 350 when it was visited by United States Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854. The port began to flourish as a commercial centre once it was opened to foreign commerce in 1859. Special privileges were extended to foreigners, and the foreign settlement became the nucleus of the city. Yokohama was almost totally destroyed in 1923 by an earthquake. Gradually rebuilt according to government plans, the city is now among the most modern in Japan. It was heavily bombed in 1945, during World War II. Population 3,544,104 (2006).