Yokohama
UN/LOCODE JPYOK · Japan · Asia-Pacific · 14
Crew guide
Shore leave
Yokohama, Japan's principal commercial port, grants shore leave to seafarers with a seaman's book and a shore pass under Japan's standard short-term port-call procedure. Japan is not a Convention 185 signatory but operates a seafarer-friendly regime. Daikoku Pier and Honmoku Pier are the principal container berths. Mission to Seafarers Yokohama operates a welfare centre near the port with chaplaincy + transport. The Japanese-style welfare provision (with cultural overlay) is among the most generous in the world but quieter than the Anglo-Saxon variety.
Walking distance + transit
Daikoku Pier is connected by frequent bus services to Yokohama Station (20-30 minutes). The historic Yamashita Park and Chinatown areas are walking distance from the older quays. Yokohama is the easiest Japanese port for shore leave — much more compact than Tokyo Bay or Nagoya.
Essentials
- ATMs: 7-Eleven (7-Bank) and Family Mart accept foreign cards reliably; Japan Post Bank ATMs do too
- Money changers: airport on arrival is best; in-city is rare. Bring a card
- Hospital: Yokohama City University Hospital, Saiseikai Yokohama-shi Tobu Hospital (Daikoku area)
- Prayer rooms: rare in standard shops; mosques exist (Yokohama Mosque); ask welfare centre for prayer-friendly venues
- Halal food: limited but growing — concentrated in central Yokohama and Tokyo; check HappyCow
- Supermarket: 7-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart open 24/7; supermarkets (Aeon, Seiyu) close around 10pm
- SIM card: bring eSIM if possible (Ubigi, Airalo); local SIM is bureaucratic for short-stay visitors
Seafarer tips
Do: carry your seaman's book + ship's stamp at all times; bow when greeted by port officials; remove shoes when entering homes or some traditional restaurants. Don't: tip (it's confusing or rude in Japan); blow your nose loudly in public; smoke outside designated areas. Watch for: Japanese immigration takes paperwork seriously — never overstay your shore pass. ATM withdrawal limits are stricter than in Singapore or Hong Kong (¥30,000 per transaction is common). Most crew use cards or get cash from the welfare centre.
Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Yokohama (UN/LOCODE JPYOK) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in Japan (14) in the northern Asia-Pacific region. The port operates on Asia/Tokyo, uses the Yen (JPY), runs shore power at 100V/50Hz (Type A/B). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND), 17 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 35.45, 139.65
- Time zone
- Asia/TokyoUTC +09:00no DST
- Local currency
- JPY— Yen
- Languages
- ja, en
- Nearest airport
- HNDTokyo Haneda International Airport~17 km
- Electricity
- 100 V50 Hzplugs A, B(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- CfaHumid subtropical
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 12345---
seaport · rail terminal · road terminal · airport · postal exchange
- Port authority
- ENGLISH – 横浜港埠頭株式会社 公式サイト
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
Tokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Centre
- VHF: Ch 16 / 67
- Phone: +81 3 3500 1111
- Web: yokohamaport.co.jp/en/
P&I correspondents
- · Cornes & Co Yokohama
- · Yusen Shipping Co (NYK club)
- · Marubeni-MMS Yokohama
Port agents
- · Inchcape Japan
- · NYK Line Agency
- · Wallem Shipping Japan
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Approach via Uraga Suido; mandatory Tokyo Bay pilotage for ≥10000 GT; tropical storm season Aug-Oct.
Helplines for seafarers in Japan
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- Tokyo MoU SecretariatAsia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 9-18 JST · en, ja
- ISWAN SeafarerHelpGlobal · 24/7 · en, ar, es, fr
- ISWAN Mental Health & Wellbeing helplineGlobal · 24/7 · en, es, ru, tl
- ITF SeafarersGlobal · 24/7 for emergencies · en
- ISWAN — Family helpline (for relatives of seafarers)Global · 24/7 · en, hi, tl
- ISWAN Yacht Crew HelplineGlobal · 24/7 · en
Other ports in Japan
Survival information
Practical information for crew arriving here. Verified where possible — see sources. Spot a mistake or missing detail? Tell us.
Emergency contacts
- Japan Police: 110 · 24/7
- Japan Coast Guard: 118 · 24/7
- Yokohama port duty officer (MoLIT regional bureau): +81 45 211 7411 · 24/7
Hospitals / clinics
- Yokohama City University Hospital
Shore leave
Japan generally issues a port shore-pass via the agent for crew of visa-waiver nationalities. Crew from countries requiring a Japan transit visa (incl. CN, RU, IR) must obtain it in advance. Reference: mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa.
Plan it: /tools/shore-leave-port-card
Transport
Nearest major airport: Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND (~17 km)). Vessel agent normally arranges taxi or seafarer-centre shuttle to/from the airport at sign-on / sign-off. Confirm transport with the agent at least 24 hours before disembarkation.
SIM & Wi-Fi
Major operators: NTT Docomo, KDDI au, SoftBank. Tourist SIM at HND/NRT/KIX airport arrivals or convenience stores. Free Wi-Fi at International Seafarers' Centres (port-specific). 4G coverage strong at port areas.
Consular contacts
Related rights: shore leave · medical care · abandonment · unpaid wages.
Port-state-control region: tokyo MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Yokohama: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Yokohama?
- Shore leave at Yokohama: Japan generally issues a port shore-pass via the agent for crew of visa-waiver nationalities. Crew from countries requiring a Japan transit visa (incl. CN, RU, IR) must obtain it in advance. Reference: mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa.. Shore leave policy is set by the port authority, the flag administration, and the visa regime of Japan. Confirm with the agent before stepping ashore.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Yokohama?
- Seafarers calling at Yokohama on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. Japan may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Yokohama?
- Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Yokohama in our directory. The centres are typically run by the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), or a regional ministry, and offer wifi, transport, shop, chaplaincy, and advocacy. Walk-in is normal; no appointment needed.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Yokohama?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Japan in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Yokohama?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND), about 17 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Yokohama a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Yokohama is listed in our directory of recognised crew-change hubs, consolidated from IMO MSC.1/Circ.1636, ICS/IFSMA briefings, and ITF priority-port reports. Recognised hubs typically have better port-state and immigration facilitation for crew-change operations, faster visa processing for seafarers, and more welfare-centre presence.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (13)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (JP)retrieved 2026-05-05
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (JP)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (JPY)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (JPY)retrieved 2026-05-05
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (JP)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Tokyo)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Tokyo)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Tokyo)retrieved 2026-05-05
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (JP)retrieved 2026-05-05
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (12345---)retrieved 2026-05-05
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (HND)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1190021)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (JP)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.