Trip reports
Rediscover Yokohama through a tour as sustainable as it is fun!
Yokohama is the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture. Yokohama Port opened to foreign influences in the Edo period (1603-1868) which allowed various imported products such as ice cream and beer to spread across Japan. Today, Yokohama is known as an international tourist city with its marvellous blue sea and strategically constructed cityscape.
The city is widely known for its innovation, making it the perfect place to experience sustainable tours that take environmental conservation into consideration. Let us introduce three experiences with the theme of reducing environmental impact.
Tour Summary:
- Lend a hand to environmental conservation while enjoying activities with "SUP River Clean in Yokohama"!
- Support local companies' FOOD LOOP initiatives with "Umaya no Shokutaku's Sustainable Lunch"
- Enjoy craft beer while being environmentally friendly with "Yokohama Beer's Beer Bike Tour"
[SUP River Clean in Yokohama]
Just a short walk from Keihin Kyuko Hinodecho Station, the Yokohama SUP Club offers riverside cleaning by SUP while enjoying the scenery of the Minatomirai district, the center of sightseeing in Yokohama.
According to Mr. Kakizawa, a representative of the Yokohama SUP Club, riverside cleaning was originally conducted along the Ooka River as a way for people to enjoy SUP. Around 70% of the trash in the ocean comes from rivers, so picking up trash is extremely important for environmental conservation. As a result of the continuing activities over many years, the river is now completely clean and adored by locals.
After receiving a basic explanation, you will put on a life jacket, kneel on the SUP board, and paddle. Even beginners will be able to stand up and balance with a little practice!
The Ooka River is so clear that you can even see fish swimming around if you look closely! It is truly a sustainable activity that utilizes local resources.
As you make your way to the river mouth in single file with the instructor at the lead, you will come across some trash. Collect it with your paddle and take it back to the SUP station.
The river gradually widens as you approach the mouth of the river, and when you pass under the large bridge you will be welcomed by a beautiful panoramic view of the Minato Mirai area stretching out in front of you!
This experience is available year-round, however, we recommend participating during the warmer months for those who do not like the cold as you will have to go barefoot. The river is one of Yokohama's most famous cherry blossom viewing spots, so why not enjoy this spectacular view during the cherry blossom season?
[Umaya no Shokutaku's Sustainable Lunch]
Enjoy dishes made with vegetables harvested through the FOOD LOOP initiative at Umaya no Shokutaku, a restaurant a few minute's walk from Sakuragicho Station on the JR and Yokohama Municipal Subway lines.
FOOD LOOP is a food circulation system in which food waste generated during the beer brewing process is recycled as compost, which is then used to grow vegetables. Umaya no Shokutaku collaborates with waste transport companies and Yamanashi farmers in this sustainable effort.
According to Managing Direct Takeuchi, the vegetables grown using FOOD LOOP vary depending on the season and are cultivated by elders in Doshi Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, one of Yokohama's water sources.
The salad lunch set, a favorite amongst women, is a healthy yet filling option.
Both the artichokes on top of the salad and the “yacon” in the small bowl of kinpira were cultivated using FOOD LOOP.
The artichokes have a fun, crunchy texture and add freshness to a salad topped with various ingredients.
The yacon is boiled until soft and has a gentle taste, which makes it a perfect pair to the sweet and salty Japanese seasoning.
By eating this delicious food you can not only support the sustainable efforts of local companies, but also satisfy your appetite.
[Yokohama Beer Bike Tour]
Enjoy a beer bike ride sponsored by Yokohama Beer Co., Ltd at Yokohama Hammerhead, located a few minutes walk from Minato Mirai Bashamichi Station.
This tour includes not only a tour of the brewery, but also a bike ride around town on a beer bike equipped with a mobile beer counter that originated in the Netherlands. Since it's a tour by bike, it's of course an environmentally friendly activity!
The beer sampled at the brewery attached to the restaurant has a fresh hop aroma and fruity taste.
After your brewery tour, grab a beer and head to the center of the Minato Mirai district by beer bike. Cyclists travel at a leisurely pace, so they often have to speed up at large intersections when the light is green. The live keyboard music is upbeat, which motivates participants to pedal as hard as they can.
The highlight of this tour is a snapshot taken in front of the amusement park in Minato Mirai. We recommend this beer bike as you can use beer as your fuel*!
*Beer bikes are not considered to be driving under the influence as the person operating the bike and the person drinking the beer are separate people.
All of the sustainable tours introduced here have one thing in common: They are all dreamt up by local people who think from a sustainable perspective and love Yokohama.
We hope you visit and enjoy a sustainable tour in Yokohama!
For tour details, please contact Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., Ltd. Yokohama Branch at hama-dantai@or.knt.co.jp
