There are three buildings with distinctive towers near Yokohama Port: Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, Yokohama Customs Headquarters Building, and Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall, known as King, Queen, and Jack, respectively, are called “Yokohama Three Towers” and familiar with the people.
The name “Yokohama Three Towers” derives from a tradition of foreign sailors who visited Yokohama in the early Showa Period (the 1930s). They nicknamed the buildings as landmarks comparing each building to a playing card.
There is an urban legend, “If you visit all three spots where you can see the three towers, your wish will come true,” called “Yokohama Three Towers Story.”
A metal plate indicating the location is placed directly across the Kanagawa Prefectural Office Main Building on Nihon-Odori boulevard, one of the three spots.
The other two spots are in the Osanbashi Pier and Red Brick Warehouse Park.
Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall – Jack
Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall is a representative red brick building of Yokohama, with the clock tower known as the nickname Jack, one of the “Yokohama Three Towers.”
The building was built as a public hall in 1917, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Yokohama’s port opening.
While experiencing the hardships of the Great Kanto Earthquake and requisition of the US military after the Second World War, the public hall has been restored many times and used with the locals’ love for it.
The attraction of the building is not only the appearance but also the interior, including the beautiful stained glasses conveying the history of Yokohama.
Yokohama Customs Headquarters Building – Queen
Yokohama Customs Headquarters Building, known for its tower with the Islamic style dome nicknamed Queen’s Tower, is Yokohama’s representative building built in the early Showa Period.
Using modernist architectural ideas that value functional designs, the building features various beautiful motifs such as Romanesque, Greek Classicism, and Islamic styles.
It’s a “Yokohama City Certified Historic Building,” requisitioned by GHQ after World War II and used as the office for General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.
Deserving the nickname Queen, the graceful building stands on the shores of Yokohama Port, with the pretty blue-green domed tower, various decorations, and the soft texture created by the cream-colored exterior.
Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building – King
Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, known as the nickname King, one of the Yokohama Three Towers, is the 4th generation building of the Kanagawa Prefectural Office.
That reinforced concrete building with excellent earthquake and fire resistance was completed in 1928 after the demolition of the 3rd one damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake.
In the design competition, a rule required “the design that makes the building easy to be recognized from ships arriving and leaving Yokohama,” resulting in the idea of using a tower with a five-storied pagoda as a motif.
The design pioneered “Teikan Style,” literally meaning the imperial crown style, followed by many public buildings.
The building features Japanese and Western tastes, such as the Frank Lloyd Wright and the art deco designs popular at that time, giving a graceful impression.
With the kingly air, Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building is a landmark of Yokohama.
