Yamashita Park and Osanbashi Pier

---

Dock Lighthouse and Floating Pier

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

105 mm ISO 100 for 1/320 sec. at ƒ/5.6

Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan, offers clear views of the Port of Yokohama and all of the related floating docks, harbor lights, berthing, etc. for the museum ship NYK Hikawa Maru cruise liner ship and sea bus loading docks.

Retired Ocean Liner and Lovers on Park Bench

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

58 mm ISO 100 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/6.3

Regardless of the time of day, the benches of Yamashita Park facing the waterfront are enjoyed by young mothers looking to take a break, elderly couples out for a short walk, young embracing couples, elderly men listening to the AM radio broadcast, young skateboarders at night waiting for pedestrians to disappear, and more. 

The first time I boarded the NYK Hikawa Maru cruise ship was back in the mid-80s. I hope to go back to visit again and take photos when I’m able to leave my dog at home.

Before the war, this ship was the most luxurious means of travel to the U.S. with passengers that included members of the Japanese imperial family, Charlie Chaplin, and Babe Ruth to name a few.

Cruise Ships Docked at Osanbashi Pier

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

80 mm ISO 100 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/10

The Royal Wing cruise ship (foreground) takes passengers on daily two-hour cruises around the Port of Yokohama. The ship is especially popular for hosting weddings, anniversaries, lunch cruises, and especially the dinner cruise that departs from Osanbashi Pier offering passengers beautiful views of the nighttime skyline.

The Asuka II ship, with a passenger capacity of 872, sails up and down the eastern coastline of Japan on 3- or 4-day cruises. Although my office is not that close to Osanbashi Pier, I can hear the blast of this ship’s horn when she leaves the dock at least once or twice a week. If I were any closer, it might cause my heart to skip a beat!

Long-Span Cable-Stayed Bridge

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

53 mm ISO 100 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/6.3

Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan, offers fantastic views of Yokohama Bay Bridge--the gateway to the Port of Yokohama for ships sailing in and out of Tokyo Bay. The bridge has a cable-stayed design with an 860-meter/2,820-foot span that crosses Tokyo Bay vehicular traffic quicker access to Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture.

Completed in September 1989, the bridge is high enough to accommodate the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise liner. Twenty years later, however, mega cruise ships became too tall to pass under the bridge and now dock farther away from the central piers of Yokohama.

Mission Bells of El Camino Real

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

105 mm ISO 100 for 1/10 sec. at ƒ/6.3

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Yokohama and San Diego sister-city relationship, the city of San Diego gifted a series of bells in 1983 that were exact replicas of the original bells found along the 600-mile route called “El Camino Real” that stretches from San Diego to San Francisco.

Guardian of Water Fountain

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

40 mm ISO 100 for 0.5 sec. at ƒ/11

Replica of the original Guardian of Water sculpture by artist Donal Hord located in Yokohama’s sister-city of San Diego. San Diego gifted the sculpture to Yokohama in 1960 after Yokohama gifted a traditional Japanese tea room to San Diego that same year.

Warehouse Converted to Fashion Boutique

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

40 mm ISO 100 for 10.0 sec. at ƒ/11

Blue Blue Yokohama, a local fashion store selling in-house brands focused on casual clothes and accessories with an emphasis on denim, has been in operation since July 1996.

Located near Osanbashi Pier (Yokohama, Japan) and smaller docks next door, this shop was originally just one of the many warehouses that were built to facilitate the global trade that entered Japan through Yokohama. Once a heavy-industry and shipbuilding port, many of the older industrial buildings from the post-war era have been converted into fashion boutiques, restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, art studios, and more.

This attempt to restore, convert, and preserve older, smaller structures gives many neighborhoods in Yokohama a small-town vibe despite being the 2nd largest city in Japan with a population of over 3.7 million people.

Cruise Ship and Terminal Pier

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

105 mm ISO 100 for 2.0 sec. at ƒ/6.3

A blue-hour shot of Asuka II, which is a cruise liner docked at Osanbashi International Terminal Pier. The Asuka sails out of the Port of Yokohama two or three times a week and makes port visits as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Kyushu.

Waterfront Skyline in Yokohama, Japan

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

80 mm ISO 100 for 240 sec. at ƒ/11

A long-exposure of the Yokohama Minatomirai waterfront skyline as seen from the Zo-no-Hana Breakwater next to Osanbashi Pier. This scene shows icons of Yokohama, including the Yokohama Cosmoworld Ferris wheel, the InterContinental Yokohama Grand hotel, which resembles the shape of a yacht under sail, and the Queen’s Square towers with rooflines resembling rolling waves.

Cruise Ship and Terminal Pier

Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6

105 mm ISO 100 for 170.0 sec. at ƒ/11

A nightscape shot of Asuka II, which is a cruise liner docked at Osanbashi International Terminal Pier. The Asuka sails out of the Port of Yokohama two or three times a week and makes port visits as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Kyushu. 

---

Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.