Best Places to View the Moon in Yokohama, Japan
Yokohama sits at roughly 35.44°N on Tokyo Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, with around 3.76 million residents. Yokohama's modern identity began with the opening of its port in 1859, when a small fishing settlement became an international trading centre. That maritime identity is still visible today — a working harbour, a former foreign settlement on the bluff above it, and a skyline of towers and piers built along the water. Between the port, the bluff, and a scattering of parks and gardens, Yokohama gives plenty of open, waterside places to watch the moon.
Osanbashi Pier
Yokohama's international cruise terminal, its rooftop plaza — officially nicknamed "Whale's Back" for its undulating wooden deck — free and open to the public 24 hours a day. From here you can see the city's "Three Towers" and the wider Minato Mirai skyline across open water, with nothing overhead to block the sky.
Yamashita Park
A waterfront park opened in 1930, built on land reclaimed with rubble from the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake as part of the city's post-earthquake reconstruction. Its long seaside promenade looks out over the bay and the Yokohama Bay Bridge, with the historic ship Hikawa Maru moored alongside.
Yokohama Marine Tower
A 106-metre former lighthouse tower overlooking Yamashita Park, reopened in 2022 after renovation, with a two-floor observation deck rising about 94 metres above ground. Evening admission is available on its current schedule, giving a 360-degree view over the port, Minato Mirai, and — on clear days — as far as Mount Fuji.
Minato Mirai & the Red Brick Warehouse
The waterfront Minato Mirai district, developed on former shipyard, railway, and industrial waterfront land, with the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel and the restored Red Brick Warehouse — a former government bonded warehouse completed in 1911 — now serving as shops and event space. It's Yokohama's easiest option for an ordinary evening, with the moon rising over one of Japan's most recognizable night skylines.
Harbor View Park, Yamate Bluff
A hillside park on the Bluff, surrounded by sites associated with Yokohama's former foreign settlement, including the site of the old British Consulate. Its rose garden and lookout point give an elevated view over the harbour and Bay Bridge, a quieter, greener alternative to the waterfront below.
Sankeien Garden
A large Japanese garden opened to the public in May 1906 by silk trader Sankei Hara, with historic buildings — including a three-story pagoda — relocated here from Kyoto, Kamakura, and elsewhere. It keeps a seasonal daytime schedule rather than staying open into full darkness, so it's best treated as a scenic daytime visit rather than a late-night moon-viewing spot.
Best Times for Moon Photography
Quick Photography Tips
The moon phase today in Yokohama, Japan is shown in detail above — complete with exact illumination percentage, moonrise/set times, and the best viewpoints to see it. For the moon phase today in any other city or location worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the home page.
While Actually There
Yokohama's modern identity began with the opening of its port in 1859, when a small fishing settlement became an international trading centre almost overnight. That maritime identity never really left. Osanbashi Pier is the clearest expression of it today: a working cruise terminal whose entire rooftop was designed as public space, free and open around the clock, so people can stand there and watch the port do its work at any hour.
Up on the Bluff, Harbor View Park tells a related story from higher ground — grounds tied to the city's 19th-century foreign settlement, now a rose garden with the same harbour laid out below it. Between the pier, the park, and Yamashita Park's long seaside promenade, the city gives you the same essential view — water, ships, a skyline — from three quite different heights and moods.
None of it requires special timing beyond checking a few opening hours. Marine Tower and Sankeien both run on set schedules, but Osanbashi's rooftop and Yamashita Park don't, and either is a reasonable base for an evening built around the moon coming up over the bay.
"Yokohama grew up looking out at the water — and its best moon-viewing spot is a cruise terminal roof that never closes."
Your Yokohama Moon Chase Checklist
Before You Go
- Check the moonrise time and phase on this page for each night of your stay
- Check current Marine Tower ticket times if you want the evening observation deck rather than the daytime one
- Check Sankeien Garden's current seasonal hours if you want to combine it with an evening walk — it's a daytime destination, not a late-night one
- Yokohama Landmark Tower's own observation deck is closed for major renovation and scheduled to reopen from 2028 onward — don't plan around it
- Check the forecast for typhoon activity if visiting in late summer or early autumn
What to Bring
- A warm layer for winter evenings — generally cool rather than severely cold, though temperatures can approach freezing
- A tripod, useful at open spots like Osanbashi's rooftop and Yamashita Park
- Comfortable shoes for the hill up to Harbor View Park and the walk between waterfront spots
- A light rain layer, especially during the June rainy season
- Spare camera batteries and a lens cloth for humid summer evenings
On the Night
- Arrive 20–30 minutes before moonrise at open spots like Osanbashi or Yamashita Park
- Confirm Marine Tower's last entry time before planning a visit around moonrise
- Shoot RAW and bracket exposures, especially where the illuminated skyline or Bay Bridge mix with moonlight
- Mind the wind on Osanbashi's exposed rooftop, particularly in winter
- Watch for typhoon-related weather changes if visiting between summer and early autumn
Yokohama Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the moon phase today in Yokohama?
The moon phase today in Yokohama is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 26. Moonrise is at 5:09 AM and moonset at 4:51 PM.
Q. Where is the best place to view the moon in Yokohama?
Osanbashi Pier's rooftop plaza, nicknamed "Whale's Back", is free and open to the public 24 hours a day, with open water and the Minato Mirai skyline and nothing overhead to block the sky. Yamashita Park has a long seaside promenade looking over the bay and the Yokohama Bay Bridge, and Minato Mirai with the Red Brick Warehouse is the easiest option for an ordinary evening. For elevation, Yokohama Marine Tower's observation deck, about 94 metres above ground, has evening admission on its current schedule, and Harbor View Park on the Yamate Bluff gives a quieter, greener view over the harbour and Bay Bridge.
Q. Where does the moon rise and set in Yokohama, and how high does it climb?
At about 35°N, Yokohama's moon rises between roughly northeast and southeast and sets between roughly northwest and southwest over each month, depending on its declination. A winter full moon culminates high, at roughly 80° above the southern horizon, while a summer full moon stays low, peaking at about 25–30°. The waterfront looks out over Tokyo Bay, so the moon can appear over open water, and on very clear days the view from Marine Tower extends as far as Mount Fuji, which lies roughly west of the city, so a setting moon can line up with it on some dates. Check the rise or set azimuth for your date and viewpoint before planning a shot.
Q. How do Yokohama's seasons and typhoons affect moon viewing?
Winter is generally drier, with cool nights that can approach freezing, while June brings a rainy season and summer evenings are warm and humid, with typhoon risk from summer into early autumn. Check the forecast for typhoon activity if visiting in late summer or early autumn, and remember that humidity can fog lenses if you come from an air-conditioned space, so let gear acclimate. Osanbashi's exposed rooftop is windier than the streets of Minato Mirai, particularly in winter.
Q. What camera settings work best for moon photography in Yokohama?
For a bright full moon, start with the Looney 11 rule (f/11, ISO 100, 1/100 s) and adjust from your histogram. The moon is much brighter than a night-time foreground, so shoot RAW and bracket exposures, especially where the illuminated skyline or Bay Bridge mix with moonlight. The illuminated Bay Bridge and the Red Brick Warehouse both make a distinctive foreground for a moonrise shot over the water. A tripod helps at exposed spots such as Osanbashi's rooftop, which catches wind off the bay.
Q. Can I photograph the moon in Yokohama after dark?
Access varies by site. Osanbashi's rooftop is open 24 hours a day, and neither it nor Yamashita Park runs on a set schedule. Yokohama Marine Tower has evening admission on a schedule that can change seasonally, so check the current times and last entry before planning a visit around moonrise. Sankeien Garden keeps a seasonal daytime schedule rather than staying open into darkness. Yokohama Landmark Tower's Sky Garden observation deck suspended operations after 31 December 2025 for major repairs and is scheduled to reopen from 2028 onward, so don't plan around it.
Q. Is there a moon-viewing tradition in Japan?
Yes. Tsukimi is Japan's traditional autumn moon-viewing custom, centred on the harvest full moon, which usually falls in September or early October. The waterfront spots on this page, such as Osanbashi's rooftop and Yamashita Park, suit an evening built around the moon coming up over the bay, and this page's phase calendar shows when the next full moon arrives.
Q. Does this page work for cities besides Yokohama?
This page is set up specifically for Yokohama, Japan. For the moon phase in any other city or location worldwide, use the Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the moonphase.today home page.
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