Minato Mirai 21
Encyclopedia
, often shortened to Minato Mirai or MM is a large urban development in Yokohama
, Japan
. Minato Mirai 21 area is designated for new urban center planned to connect city's traditional center of Kannai
and Yokohama Station
area.
Minato Mirai 21 is originally proposed as one of the Yokohama's six major development plan by the mayor of Yokohama, Ichio Asukata
in 1965. After several assessments and review sessions, actual construction started in 1983. This is the area once was known as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd's Yokohama shipyard and Japanese National Railways classification yard, Takashima wharf and Shinko wharf of Port of Yokohama
. Conducted as Urban Renewal
and reclaimed land
, the port and the industrial area once divided city center between Kannai and Yokohama Station, turned to new business district in Yokohama today. Minato Mirai 21 means "Port Future [in] 21[st century]", which was selected in a public pull opinion.
The area is being now flourished as one of the newest urban business district in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where symbolized by the Landmark Tower, Japan's tallest skyscraper
, the Queens Square Towers contains large shopping mall, the Pacifico Yokohama
convention center, Intercontinental Hotel, Cosmo Clock 21
Ferris wheel, and more. Next to Landmark Tower is the Yokohama Museum of Art
.
In business, Nissan Motors
Global Headquarters, JGC Corporation
Headquarters, and other major corporations headquarters and branches as well as international organizations are located in this area in Yokohama. Today, about 79,000 people are working in Minato Mirai 21.
In Yokohama, Minato Mirai 21 also attracts numerous tourists along with nearby Yokohama Chinatown
. In 2010, approximately 58 millions of people visited Minato Mirai 21. Due to graceful view, seashore accessibilty, cruse ships embarked at Ōsanbashi Pier
, and Yokohama Bay Bridge
, pictures of Minato Mirai 21 tends to be used for symbol of today's Yokohama.
and Motomachi
, and Shibuya
in Tokyo
enhanced accessibility in this area. Minato Mirai 21 is now accessed by Minatomirai Line, East Japan Railway Company
Negishi Line
and Yokohama City Transportation Bureau
Blue Line
.
To encourage and support investment and business in Minato Mirai 21, there are types of support programs are available by both city of Yokohama and Kanagawa prefectural governments.
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Minato Mirai 21 area is designated for new urban center planned to connect city's traditional center of Kannai
Kannai
is a region in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, bounded by the Ōoka River, JR Negishi Line, Nakamura River, and the Ocean. "Kannai" is not an official name of the area, but it has been in use for over a century....
and Yokohama Station
Yokohama Station
is a main interchange station located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is the busiest station in Kanagawa Prefecture and the 5th busiest in Japan as of 2004, serving 2.05 million passengers daily.-Lines:Yokohama Station is served by the following lines:...
area.
Minato Mirai 21 is originally proposed as one of the Yokohama's six major development plan by the mayor of Yokohama, Ichio Asukata
Ichio Asukata
was a Japanese politician and chairman of the Japan Socialist Party. He was also the mayor of Yokohama from 1963 to 1978....
in 1965. After several assessments and review sessions, actual construction started in 1983. This is the area once was known as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd's Yokohama shipyard and Japanese National Railways classification yard, Takashima wharf and Shinko wharf of Port of Yokohama
Port of Yokohama
The is operated by the Port and Harbor Bureau of the City of Yokohama in Japan. It opens onto Tokyo Bay. The port is located at a latitude of 35.27.–00°N and a longitude of 139.38–46°E. To the south lies the Port of Yokosuka; to the north, the ports of Kawasaki and Tokyo.-Facilities:Yokohama Port...
. Conducted as Urban Renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
and reclaimed land
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
, the port and the industrial area once divided city center between Kannai and Yokohama Station, turned to new business district in Yokohama today. Minato Mirai 21 means "Port Future [in] 21[st century]", which was selected in a public pull opinion.
The area is being now flourished as one of the newest urban business district in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where symbolized by the Landmark Tower, Japan's tallest skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, the Queens Square Towers contains large shopping mall, the Pacifico Yokohama
Pacifico Yokohama
Pacifico Yokohama is a convention center in Japan located in the western region of Minato Mirai Nishi-ku Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture....
convention center, Intercontinental Hotel, Cosmo Clock 21
Cosmo Clock 21
Cosmo Clock 21 is a giant Ferris wheel located in Yokohama, Japan. It is also the world's largest clock.Built for the YES '89 Yokohama Exposition at Minato Mirai 21 in 1989, Cosmo Clock 21 was originally constructed with a height of ....
Ferris wheel, and more. Next to Landmark Tower is the Yokohama Museum of Art
Yokohama Museum of Art
Yokohama Museum of Art , founded in 1989, is located in the futuristic Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city next to the Yokohama Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan.-The collections:...
.
In business, Nissan Motors
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
Global Headquarters, JGC Corporation
JGC Corporation
JGC Corporation is a global engineering company headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It is listed at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company was founded on 25 October 1928. In 1976, it changed its original name from Japan Gasoline Co. to JGC Corporation...
Headquarters, and other major corporations headquarters and branches as well as international organizations are located in this area in Yokohama. Today, about 79,000 people are working in Minato Mirai 21.
In Yokohama, Minato Mirai 21 also attracts numerous tourists along with nearby Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan, which is located just south of Tokyo. Its history is about 150 years long...
. In 2010, approximately 58 millions of people visited Minato Mirai 21. Due to graceful view, seashore accessibilty, cruse ships embarked at Ōsanbashi Pier
Osanbashi Pier
is the main international pier at the Port of Yokohama, located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. Ōsanbashi is the oldest pier in Yokohama, originally constructed between 1889 and 1896.To meet modern demands, Ōsanbashi was reconstructed between 1987 and 2002...
, and Yokohama Bay Bridge
Yokohama Bay Bridge
The is a 860-metre-long cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27, 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 metres . The toll is ¥600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway....
, pictures of Minato Mirai 21 tends to be used for symbol of today's Yokohama.
Attractions
Major attractions in the area include the following:- Yokohama Landmark Tower - The tallest building in Japan, with views of Tokyo and Mt. Fuji
- Cosmo World - amusement park, which includes the 100 meter (330 ft) Cosmo Clock 21Cosmo Clock 21Cosmo Clock 21 is a giant Ferris wheel located in Yokohama, Japan. It is also the world's largest clock.Built for the YES '89 Yokohama Exposition at Minato Mirai 21 in 1989, Cosmo Clock 21 was originally constructed with a height of ....
ferris wheel - Kishamichi Promenade - pedestrian walkway following the original Harbor railroad tracks, linking Sakuragicho station with Yokohama World Porters and the Cosmo Clock. The walkway offers expansive views of the Minato Mirai skyline.
- Minato Mirai Hall - symphony hall with extensive performance schedule including the resident Kanagawa Philharmonic
- Pacifico YokohamaPacifico YokohamaPacifico Yokohama is a convention center in Japan located in the western region of Minato Mirai Nishi-ku Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture....
- One of the largest convention complexes in the world - Nippon Maru - a four masted sailing ship, permanently docked in Minato Mirai as a museum
- Yokohama Museum of ArtYokohama Museum of ArtYokohama Museum of Art , founded in 1989, is located in the futuristic Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city next to the Yokohama Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan.-The collections:...
- houses one of the most notable collections of modern art in Japan
Major Hotels
Major hotels in the area with over 300 guestrooms include the following:- Yokohama Bay Grand InterContinentalInterContinentalInterContinental is a brand of upscale luxury hotels, founded by Pan American World Airways, under Juan Trippe, and now owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. The chain operates over 200 hotels and resorts in approximately 75 nations.-History:...
Hotel - Pan Pacific Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu
- Yokohama Royal Park HotelRoyal Park HotelRoyal Park Hotel is one of the largest hotels in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong established in 1989. Owned by Sun Hung Kai Properties, the hotel belongs to Phase 2 of New Town Plaza, the largest shopping mall in the district...
- Yokohama Sakuragicho Washington Hotel
- Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel and towers
Railway Stations
- Minatomirai Station
- Sakuragichō StationSakuragicho Station, is a railway station located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan.-Lines:Sakuragichō Station is served by the following lines.*East Japan Railway Company**Keihin-Tōhoku Line / Negishi Line*Yokohama Municipal Subway**Blue Line -Station layout:...
- Shin-Takashima StationShin-Takashima Stationis an underground metro station located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan operated by the Yokohama Minatomirai Railway’s Minatomirai Line. It is 0.8 kilometers from the terminus of the Minatomirai Line at Yokohama Station...
Continued Development
Today about 1,420 corporates located in Minato Mirai 21 area. The city government of Yokohama targets to increase employment upto 190,000 people, together with 10,000 planned regidents. In 2004, completion of the Minatomirai Line, connects the area directly to both central Yokohama, such as Bashamichi, Yokohama ChinatownYokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan, which is located just south of Tokyo. Its history is about 150 years long...
and Motomachi
Motomachi
is a district of Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, located immediately west of Yamate and east of Chinatown. It consists mainly of the Motomachi Shopping Street, a five-block long stretch of boutiques and shops, well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, original fashion, and Western...
, and Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
enhanced accessibility in this area. Minato Mirai 21 is now accessed by Minatomirai Line, East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
Negishi Line
Negishi Line
The is a Japanese railway line which runs between Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company . Freight trains also run on this line, and it is essential for the southern Keihin region....
and Yokohama City Transportation Bureau
Yokohama City Transportation Bureau
The is the administrative agency in charge of public transportation services in the city of Yokohama, Japan.-Subway operations:The Yokohama Municipal Subway consists of the following lines:...
Blue Line
Blue Line (Yokohama)
The is a line in the Yokohama Municipal Subway system of Yokohama, Japan, operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau. Line 3 runs from Azamino to Kannai, and Line 1 runs from Kannai to Shōnandai. All the trains join these two lines.-History:...
.
To encourage and support investment and business in Minato Mirai 21, there are types of support programs are available by both city of Yokohama and Kanagawa prefectural governments.