Modern Yokohama is largely shaped by its history as one of the first places (then just a fishing village) to be opened to foreigners when toward the end of the Edo Period, in the 1850s, Japan ended its period of national isolation, under duress from American Commodore Matthew Perry. Yokohama became a place where foreign traders lived and worked, and it quickly grew into one of Japan's premier port cities.

Among the legacies of this history are the city's famous Chinatown, where you can enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes. Osanbashi Pier, where foreign cruise ships come to dock, has green grass and walking paths that make it a great place to visit, even if you never set foot on a cruise ship. The Yamate area became a residential zone for Westerners. You can see a number of houses and attractions related to this history, including the The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, where the inscriptions on headstones make for some interesting reading. There is also a small museum. The cemetery is open from March to December on weekends and holidays.

If you get a yearning for a more authentic Japanese experience while in Yokohama, Sankeien Garden may be just the thing. About 35 minutes by bus from Yokohama Station, its paths wind past ponds, rivers, verdure and a number of traditional Japanese buildings, including a three-story pagoda, tea rooms and the Former Yanohara House, which was the home of a prosperous Edo family. Several of the buildings in the garden have been designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. The garden was designed by silk trader Tomitaro Hara and opened to the public in the first decade of the 1900s.

Kanagawa Prefecture is also famous for its hot springs, centered around the town of Hakone in the far southwest. These are typically enjoyed by staying in an onsen ryokan, or hot spring inn. The inns are usually of a traditional design, featuring tatami flooring and futons, and they include meals, often served in your room. They also sometimes come with a less welcome element, a curfew. The pricing of onsen ryokan varies to fit every budget. Hakone is a beautiful, mountainous area that contains Lake Ashi and is near Mount Fuji. Historically, it was an important official checkpoint for anyone traveling into the Kanto region along the Tokaido highway between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto during the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867).

Kamakura, 50 kilometers south of Tokyo, is a city of great historical importance in Japan. It was the site of the Kamakura Bakufu, or Kamakura Tent Government, a powerful political force in Japan from roughly 1185 to 1333. It was long believed that the shoguns of Kamakura actually consolidated political control over the entire country, but in recent years this has come into question, as some scholars believe the emperor never lost control over the Kansai region. Nevertheless, the city, surrounded on three sides by hills and with its fourth side facing the sea, was large, advanced and powerful.

The city today is a popular day-trip destination from Tokyo. Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine is the most significant of the city's Shinto shrines, which are outnumbered by Buddhist temples. It is the home of the lively Kamakura Festival in April of each year, during which visitors can watch yabusame, or archery on horseback. Another famous site is Kamakura's Daibutsu, a great bronze statue of the Buddha. The Daibutsu is approximately 11.39 meters tall and it is registered as a national treasure. Japan is petitioning to have Kamakura, the former samurai capital, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.