Chinatown, Yokohama

t, with the highest concentration centered on a 300 square metre area.HistoryIn 1859, when the sea port opened in Yokohama, many Chinese immigrants arrived in Japan and formed settlements. Later, ferry services from Yokohama to Shanghai and Hong Kong were started. Many Chinese traders came to Japan and built a Chinese school, Chinese community center, and various other facilities in what represented the beginning of Chinatown. However, government regulations at the time meant that immigrants were not permitted to live outside of the designated foreign settlement area. In 1899, new laws gave Chinese increased freedom of movement while reinforcing strict rules on the types of work Chinese people were allowed to perform.In 1923, the Kanto Area was devastated by the Great Kantō earthquake. Around 100,000 people were killed and approximately 1.9 million people became homeless. Chinatown also suffered and many immigrants chose to return to China instead of rebuilding their lives in Yokohama.