region image
26°

Kanagawa

Contrasting realities from Yokohama to Hakone

About Kanagawa
Photo: Geoff Day / JT

Top Attractions in Kanagawa

Kanagawa Top 10

Upcoming Kanagawa Events

Yokohama Cycle Style 2025

Yokohama Cycle Style 2025

Jun 21st - Jun 22nd

If you're looking for a unique, immersive way to explore Japan beyond trains, planes, and buses, cycling might just be you..

Free Entry
Iris and Water Lily Festival 2025

Iris and Water Lily Festival 2025

Jun 3rd - Jun 29th

The annual Iris and Water Lily Festival is held at the Odawara Flower Garden from early June to early July, and it includes around..

Free Entry
Shonan Mana Terrace 2025

Shonan Mana Terrace 2025

Jun 28th - Jun 29th

The Shonan Mana Terrace event aims to celebrate elements of Polynesian culture, with Tahitian and Hawaiian dance displays, sales..

Free Entry

Where to eat in Kanagawa

Ippudo Ramen

Ippudo Ramen

Tom Roseveare

Ippudo (一風堂) is one of the most recognised names in the ramen world, having replicated the success of its Hakata-born tonko..

Places to stay in Kanagawa

Latest Kanagawa Reports

A Special Trip in Odawara

A Special Trip in Odawara

Serena Kim

Odawara is a captivating coastal city nestled along Sagami Bay on the Tokaido Line, just a 30-minute Shinkansen bullet train ride..

Close

About Kanagawa

kanagawa
Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Kanto
Island Honshu
Capital Yokohama
Population 9,048,331
Area 2,415.81 km²

Perhaps the term “melting pot” is the best way to describe Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県, Kanagawa-ken). Being the second most populated prefecture, Kanagawa’s first impression is a modern, “concrete jungle” similar to its northern neighbour, Tokyo. And that’s true to a certain extent, as you can tell from the big city of Yokohama and the Minato Mirai 21 district. However, that urbanity is perfectly balanced with beautiful nature, such as Enoshima’s beaches, Sankei-en, Yamashita Park, and Hakone Onsen.

Being the site of Commodore Perry’s landing in 1853, Kanagawa is also a fusion of foreign and Japanese history and culture. Traditional Japanese structures such as Enkaku-ji and the Great Buddha of Kamakura co-exist with Yokohama Chinatown, the Red Brick Warehouse, and Western-style buildings in the Motomachi district.

Romantic nighttime views of the city and Tokyo Bay can be enjoyed from the Landmark Tower observatory and Osanbashi Pier.

Close