Side Trips from Tokyo - Tokyo - page 288

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Individual thrill rides range from ¥300 to ¥1,000. Otherwise, a combination “free” pass
good for everything costs ¥4,900 for adults and ¥3,500 or ¥2,000 for children, depend-
ing on their age.
The aquarium is open mid-March through August, from about 9am to 8 or 9pm,
depending on the season, with shorter winter hours. It takes approximately 1 hour to
reach Hakkeijima Sea Paradise from Yokohama Station. Take the JR Negishi Line from
Yokohama Station to Shin-sugita, and then transfer to the Seaside Line to Hakkeijima
Station. Or, take the Keihin Kyuko Line from Shinagawa or Yokohama Station to
Kanazawa Hakkei Station to catch the Seaside Line.
WHERE TO DINE
CHUKAGAI CHINATOWN Located in Yamashita-cho, a couple blocks inland from
Yamashita Park and next to Motomachi Chukagai Station of the Minato Mirai Line,
Chinatown has more than 500 restaurants and shops lining two main streets and dozens
of offshoots. Tokyoites have long been coming to Yokohama just to dine; many of the
restaurants have been owned by the same families for generations. Most serve Cantonese
food and have plastic-food displays, English-language menus, or pictures of their dishes,
so your best bet is to wander around and let your budget be your guide. Most dishes run
¥850 to ¥3,000, and set lunches go for ¥900 to ¥1,200. Larger restaurants accept credit
cards; those that do display them on the front door. Most Chinatown restaurants are
open from 11 or 11:30am to 9:30pm or later; some close Tuesday or Wednesday, but
there are always other restaurants open.
While here, you might want to take a spin through the China Museum (Yokohama
Daisekai), 97 Yamashita-cho ( & 045/681-5588 ), an eight-story building with an inte-
rior that replicates Shanghai of the 1920s and '30s (Shanghai and Yokohama are sister
cities), with re-created street scenes, artisans producing traditional crafts, souvenir shops,
and a food court with stalls offering dishes from around China, most priced less than
¥800. It's open Sunday to Thursday 10am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday 10am to
10pm.
MINATO MIRAI For sophisticated surroundings or just a romantic evening cocktail,
take the elevator up to the 70th floor of Landmark Tower, where you'll find the Yoko-
hama Royal Park Hotel Nikko's Sirius Sky Lounge ( & 045/221-1111 ), with stun-
ning seaside views. It serves a buffet lunch for ¥3,500 daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm,
which often centers on a changing, ethnic cuisine but also offers items such as salmon,
lamb, and pizza. After lunch, it's teatime until 5pm. From 5pm to 1am daily, Sirius is a
cocktail lounge (no one under 20 years old allowed) and levies a cover charge: ¥1,050 per
person from 5 to 7pm and again from 11pm to 1am; ¥2,100 for live music from 7 to
11pm. It offers a small, a la carte dinner menu, as well as set dinners for ¥6,300 and
¥9,450.
Nearby, a good place for a drink or a hamburger is the local branch of the Hard Rock
Cafe, located on the first floor of Queen's Square Yokohama Tower A ( & 045/682-
5626; daily 11am-11pm). Nearby, on the fourth and fifth floors of the Queen's Square
Yokohama, is a branch of daidaiya ( & 045/228-5035; daily 11am-3pm and
5-10:30pm). See p. 163 and p. 168, respectively, for reviews of these restaurants.
The 1911 renovated Red Brick Warehouse (see above) also has fast-food outlets,
including a Kua' Aina burger shop ( & 045/227-5300; p. 151), but for something more
substantial, head to the third floor for Beer Next ( & 045/226-1961; daily 11am-10pm
[last order]), which strives admirably to create an international cuisine that goes down

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