YOKOHAMA, the chief port of entry in Japan, and the headquarters of for eign shipping companies, banks, consu lates, and commerce generally. Till the opening of the country in 1854 it was an insignificant fishing village, contiguous to the important town of Kanagawa, originally granted as a treaty settlement. The obstructions offered by the Japanese and the impatience of foreign merchants led to the practical abandonment of Kanagawa, which, however, still re mained nominally the seat of the various consulates. Yokohama is a well laid-out town, but contains narrow winding streets. The Bluff, conceded for resi dence in 1867, is a beautiful spot which 'commands fine views of Fuji-san and of Yokohama bay. Other parts of the town have also been greatly improved and there are now many fine buildings, hospitals, churches, clubs, parks. etc.
The bay is very beautifu., and, though only an open roadstead, affords a good and commodious anchorage. Work on a large harbor was carried out in 1889 1896, the main object of which was to prevent the gradual silting up of the anchorage; it is inclosed by two break waters miles long, and an iron pier, 1,900 feet long, connected with the rail way to the capital, 17 miles off. Yoko
hama is a center for tourists visiting Japan. The foreign community here is the largest in the country; after the Chinese, British residents, chiefly mer chants and brokers, bulk most largely. There is an imperial health laboratory here, admirably conducted. The entire foreign trade of Yokohama in 1918 was about $665,163,000, the exports having a value of nearly double the imports. Silk represents three-fifths of the exports, the rest being other tissues, tea, rice, copper, curios, etc.; the imports are cotton and woolens, raw sugar, oils, metals, chemi cals, arms, and ammunition, watches, etc. Pop. about 450,000.