Artistic and Historic: Find the Perfect Unique Venue in Yokohama

Published：4/21/2025

Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city by population and first port opened to the world, is renowned for having one of the largest Chinatowns in Asia as well as Landmark Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Japan. Yokohama is uniquely suited to MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Event/Exhibition), with unique venues that elevate any gathering to a one-of-a-kind, memorable event. From iconic landmarks rentable for private functions to buildings that are hidden gems, Yokohama’s venues top the list of locations that elevate, enchant, and exalt.

An Elegant and Contemporary Venue in the Heart of the City

Located in the lush Grand Mall Park in the central Minato Mirai district, the newly reopened Yokohama Museum Art is an unmissable attraction in the city. Founded in 1989, the museum houses over 14,000 pieces of artwork, including a superior photography collection that draws upon Yokohama’s history as one of the first places in Japan where a commercial photography studio was established in the late 19^th century.

Embodying many facets of Yokohama’s past, present, and future, the Yokohama Museum of Art has long served as the city’s unique venue. Its newest exhibition, “Welcome Back, Yokohama”, guides visitors through the city’s history, from a small fishing village to a metropolitan hub, showcasing an extensive array of works—from prehistoric dogu figures and ukiyo-e woodblock prints to post-war photography.

The modern stone building, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tange Kenzo, features a unique geometric façade and adornments. The Grand Gallery, with its open space and high ceilings, offers a great communal space, whether for museum visitors or private cocktail events.

A Modern, Out-of-This-World Venue

Located at Yokohama Gate Tower, the Konica Minolta Planetaria Yokohama is an entertainment and educational facility popular with people from all ages. Its frequent collaborations with recording artists make it popular with young people, while business professionals appreciate the planetarium’s comprehensive business event services and unparalleled visual-presentation capabilities.

Planetaria Yokohama typically employs its dome and the DYNAVISION-LED system, which promises higher levels of brightness and a wider color range than competing projectors, to display 360-degree images of the splendor and majesty of the night sky. But this system can just as easily be used for commercial purposes. Advertisement screenings, models of architectural projects, and even charts and graphs are riveting when projected on the planetarium’s window to the universe. Few other venues offer this level of elevated engagement. These capabilities, along with snack and drink services from the facility’s café and promotional packages that include custom displays and pamphlets, make Planetaria Yokohama a whole new universe of MICE experiences waiting to be discovered.

A Historic Venue that Welcomed International Celebrities

Overlooking Yamashita Park, Hotel New Grand tells a centuries-long story of Japan’s East-West cultural exchange. Its history goes back to 1860 when it was the Yokohama Hotel, one of the first modern hotels in Japan. That hotel burned down in 1866, and the New Grand opened as its successor in 1927. Since then, the hotel has welcomed many foreign celebrities and luminaries, such as General Douglas MacArthur, Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, and Jean Cocteau.

In 2023, the hotel was named one of the Top 25 historic hotels by Historic Hotels Worldwide®, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (USA) dedicated to raising awareness of and celebrating the finest historic lodging facilities around the world. Hotel New Grand was also singled out for its Christmas and New Year decorations mixing Japanese and Western traditions.

Besides a view of the park, Hotel New Grand also offers views of the Bay Bridge and the Osanbashi Pier. This expansive scenery and the hotel’s wide selection of banquet halls will together bring Yokohama’s unique heritage into any event. The most regal of its event spaces is Admiral Perry’s Room with its blue wave-patterned carpet and its door handles in the shape of ginkgo trees, a symbol of Yokohama. The Rainbow Ball Room, on the other hand, exudes European charm with its deep-red color motif and gorgeous ceiling carvings. For mesmerizing nightscapes of Yokohama’s port area, there’s the Starlight Room.

A Traditional Japanese Garden for an Elegant Post-Conference Event

Only a 20-minute drive from the center of Yokohama, guests can discover another exciting venue: Sankeien Garden, a sprawling 175,000-square-meter green space that dates back to 1906 and features historic buildings, a pond, and strolling trails. Of particular interest is the Kakushokaku, the largest historical building at Sankeien. With a total floor space of 950 square meters, it serves as a popular and picturesque unique venue in Yokohama.

Enjoy Liquid History and Good Food by the Water

The Wharf House Yamashita Park, overlooking the waters of Yokohama’s port, is a contrast of blue and green: a modern destination in the heart of the city, but also one that is in harmony with the surrounding nature of Yamashita Park. In the Wharf House is a restaurant that serves grilled dishes, and outside a beer garden, combining Yokohama’s stunning views and history, each one enhancing the other in an easily accessible unique venue for parties and other gatherings. How exactly does The Wharf House connect to the city’s history? Through its beer on tap. After all, the history of Japanese beer brewing started in Yokohama.

The history of Japanese beer goes back to 1869 and the establishment of the Japan Yokohama Brewery. The brewery’s manager later went on to co-found the Spring Valley Brewery, the first continuously operated commercial brewery in the country, also located in Yokohama. The reason why the city was so perfect for brewing beer was apparently because of its access to the crystal-clear spring waters of Amanuma. The brewery’s beer was such a success that it was soon being exported as far as Nagasaki, and the lessons learned at Spring Valley helped in the establishment of Japan’s brewing industry. The buildings and land of the enterprise were eventually bought out by Japan Brewery, which we know today as Kirin, one of the largest beverage companies in Japan.