Two new cruise piers are expected to open in Japan’s second largest city, Yokohama, in April and November 2019, in line with an overall trend that wants it to be the most frequently visited Japanese port for English-speaking passengers.
Japan in general constitutes a very attractive destination for cruise passengers and Yokohama, with a population of 3.7 million people, is the second largest city in Japan after Tokyo.
The two new cruise piers, Daikoku and Shinko, will be able to accommodate large cruise ships, such as the ‘Queen Elizabeth II’.
Daikoku will receive mostly freight carrying ships, while Shinko Cruise Terminal will enable the cruise port to welcome ships weighing up to 110,000 GT.
In July 2018, Shinko port began the work to construct the 17,400m2 terminal building, as well as to extend the existing pier up to 340 metres in length.
The opening of these two piers will come in addition to the current Osanbashi International Passenger Terminal, making Yokohama port the largest in Japan in terms of capacity, able to accommodate seven ships at one time.
In 2019, a total of 190 cruise ships are expected to arrive in Yokohama, 90 of them foreign flagged; a 25% increase over 2018, according to Forbes.