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Yokohama, where the main campus of Yokohama National University (YNU) is located, is famous for its international character and history. Yokohama was a tiny fishing village of 100 houses when the Tokugawa Shogunate, forced to abandon its policy of isolation and open its doors to the world, chose Yokohama in 1859 to be one of several ports opened up to Western countries. Trading houses and foreign settlements flourished after the Meiji Restoration as the new imperial government emphasized international trade. Yokohama is proud of its history of introducing Western goods to Japan-the first bakery (1860), photo studio (1862), telephone (1869), beer brewery (1869), cinema (1870), daily newspaper (1870), public restroom (1871), and ice cream (1879).
With a population of almost 3.5 million, Yokohama is now the second largest city in Japan and has the nation's largest international trading port. Yokohama is situated on a peninsula on the western coast of Tokyo Bay about 30 km south of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Yokohama is well-known as an international, cosmopolitan city. Japan's largest Chinatown, the scenic area known as "the Bluff" with historic Western-style homes and the modern, waterfront area all contribute to making Yokohama an exotic juxtaposition of Japanese, Western and Chinese cultures. |
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Yokohama is also a city of the future. Looking ahead to changes in global trade and economy, the city has an ambitious plan to expand the Port of Yokohama as a logistics hub. Minato-Mirai 21, a completely new urban development along the waterfront area, has a conference center, offices, museums, residences, hotels, shops and restaurants. It serves as a center for international companies and high-technology research and development institutes.
Yokohama has four distinct seasons, as does most of Japan. Yokohama enjoys a mild climate throughout the year with an average temperature of 16-17℃. Summer can be extremely muggy, with temperatures exceeding 30℃, and even at night it can be hot and humid. It is relatively warm in winter with a temperature range of 5-10℃ with little snowfall. Spring and fall are very pleasant and a wonderful time for enjoying the outdoors. But Yokohama has something for every season-cherry blossoms in spring, summer festivals, colorful autumn leaves-just to name a few. Every day is an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful sights and enriching experiences of the city of Yokohama. |
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