After 9 yrs, Yokohama comes back as No. 1 cruise ship port in Japan

The Port of Yokohama, which has reclaimed its place as Japan’s leading port of call for cruise ships, is seen from the Bay Bridge Skywalk in Yokohama’s Tsurumi Ward on April 28, 2023. (Mainichi/Masakatsu Oka)

YOKOHAMA — In 2023, this east Japan metropolis for the first time in nine years claimed the top spot as Japan’s port of call for cruise ships.

According to the Yokohama Municipal Government, the number of stops at the Port of Yokohama by ships of domestic and foreign origin reached 171. One of the reasons for the increase in port stops is on a gradual recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

After opening to international cruise ships again last March, the port received 89 more ships than the year prior. According to the city’s cruise industry promotion department, an estimated 470,000 people landed in the city. The port led the nation with stops by 101 foreign ships and was in second place for domestic ships with 70 visits.

The port was the nation’s top for a 12-year stretch until 2014. With the popularity of the Port of Hakata in the city of Fukuoka and the Port of Nagasaki among Chinese tourists, Yokohama fell to third spot in 2015. Despite improved numbers, Yokohama remained in third or fourth place through 2019, then in second from 2020 to 2022 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The once-thriving cruises from China did not fully return to Japanese ports in 2023, which is thought to be a factor in Yokohama’s comeback. With their full return, however, a Yokohama official predicts, “Yokohama’s No. 1 place is tenuous,” as destinations such as Kyushu and Okinawa see the ships again.

However, in March and April as cruise season approaches, Yokohama is scheduled to welcome a series of foreign liners that will enter the port for the first time. The city has high hopes for the increased activity and the synergistic effects these will bring.

(Japanese original by Masakatsu Oka, Yokohama Bureau)