Motomachi (元町, Motomachi^?) is a district of Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, located immediately west of Yamate and east of Chinatown. It consists mainly of the Motomachi Shopping Street, a five-block long stretch of boutiques and shops, well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, original fashion, and western influence. Naka-ku (中区) is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Yokohama ) is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and Japans largest incorporated city,[1] with a population of 3. ... 山手 is the kanji for Yamate. ... Yokohama Chinatowns Goodwill Gate Yokohama Chinatowns East Gate Yokohama Chinatown (Japanese: よこはまちゅうかがい, Japanese Kanji: 横浜中華街 Mandarin Chinese: 横滨中华街 Heng bang zhong hua jie) is located on Yokohama, Japan. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ...

History

Motomachi was originally a quiet farming & fishing village until 1859, when the Port of Yokohama was opened. Since then, the closeby Kannai district became the foreigners' business district, and the adjacent Yamate and Yamashitacho districts became the foreigners' residential districts. Situated in between, with Yamate to the east, and Kannai and Yamashitacho to the west, Motomachi became frequented by many foreigners. Shops and businesses were opened, catering to the needs of foreigners. 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... 山手 is the kanji for Yamate. ...

Soon after the start of the Meiji era, the population of foreign residents had increased. And western influence became more evident in Motomachi, with the opening of many cafés, bakeries, and boutiques. Such shops were uncommon in Japan, and Motomachi helped introduce western culture into Japan, as part of what is called bunmei kaika (文明開化, bunmei kaika^?). This was the beginning of the Motomachi Shopping Street as we know it today. History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Meiji period (Japanese: Meiji Jidai 明治時代 ) (1868–1912... Coffeehouse in Damascus A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant. ... Bakery foods A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar foods. ...

In the 1970s, the "Motomachi Shopping Street" produced a new style of fashion called the hama tora (ハマトラ, hama tora^?) (short for "Yokohama traditional"). The most famous producers of the hama tora style were Kitamura, Mihama, and Fukuzo, three of the most fashionable boutiques in Motomachi. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...

Naming

Upon the opening of the Port of Yokohama in 1859, this area was called Motomura (本村, Motomura^?). The name was changed to Motomachi in 1860. 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...

References

• This article was translated from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on September 9, 2006, and with a few minor changes

External links

• History of Motomachi
• (Japanese) Motomachi Shopping Street (official website)