YOKOHAMA, y6-ka-hi'mii, Japan, the chief seaport of the empire, on the Bay of Tokio, about 17 miles southwest of Tokio, of which it is the port. Yokohama is of modern growth, its rise being due to the open ing of Japan to foreign commerce and to the establishment here of foreign merchants, con suls. etc., after the adjacent Kanagawa was de clared a treaty-port. The dwelling-houses and warehouses of the foreign residents are of a superior character, and are built on the bluff facing the bay. The commercial buildings occupy the east of the town, the western part being the Japanese town, and the centre being occupied by the prefecture, custom-house, post office and other official buildings. The bay is very beautiful, and, though only an open roadstead, affords a good and commodious an chorage, not only to extensive mercantile shipping, but also to the naval squadrons of other powers. Work on a large harbor was
carried out in 1889-96, the main object of which was to prevent the gradual silting up of the anchorage; it is enclosed by two break waters one and one-quarter miles long, and an iron pier, 1,900 feet long, connected with the railway to the capital, 17 miles off. Yokohama is a centre for tourists visiting Japan. The imports into Yokohama are valued at ap proximately $120,000,000, mainly sugar, metals and metal manufactures, cotton manufactures, kerosene, raw cotton and woolens; the exports at $160,000,000, mainly raw and manufactured silk, copper, tea, fish, cotton goods, fish-oil and paper. The number of vessels entered annually a about 3,600 with a tonnage of about 11,500.000. mainly British, Japanese, Russian. American and French. Pop. 428,663.