6 Reasons Why You’ll Love Shopping at Marine & Walk Yokohama
Get some much-needed retail therapy at this oceanside oasis
This latest addition to Yokohama’s shopping scene is everything we want but can never find from a shopping experience in Tokyo: relaxing, enjoyable and beneficial for your health (yes, really).
‘Tis the season for Christmas shopping which means the inevitable running around overcrowded department stores, shuffling up and down the packed streets of Omotesando and finally getting lost in the chaotic aisles of Donki (sorry fam, it’s gonna be wasabi Kit Kats again this year). If only there was a place that allowed us to take our sweet time, leisurely browsing until somehow we’ve ended up with unique gifts for the whole family without realizing it.
Well, we’ve found something that comes pretty close in the form of Marine & Walk Yokohama; an innovative mall and community event space that is raising the bar on the shopping experience, and generally making our lives So. Much. Easier. Read on to find out why you’ll love shopping at Marine & Walk Yokohama as much as we do.
1. It has a beautiful location and layout
As chic and compact as your favorite clutch, Marine & Walk is a collection of select boutiques and bistros clustered along the waterfront of the Minato Mirai district in Yokohama. The outdoor complex borrows its industrial design from the nearby Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse; graphic-printed staircases and wooden decking join the two floors, lined with plants, twinkling fairy lights and outdoor heaters for winter.
It has the friendly feel of a market while the open-air layout makes for a lovely browse-at-your-own-pace atmosphere — a.k.a the complete opposite of your average mall experience in Tokyo. Several lounge areas offer plenty of rest stops with an ocean view along the way too.
2. You can browse stores that you can’t find easily elsewhere
The 13 stores in Marine & Walk showcase a variety of domestic and international brands, ranging from independent boutiques to upscale global names. This is the perfect place to stumble upon that one-of-a-kind present for someone special — even if that means you (it’s Christmas after all).
Shop wardrobe essentials at elegant fashion brand Cos, pick up some new shoes at Toms or find unique accessories at Lourmarin Market & Gallery. Need a gift for a special man in your life? Harajuku-based Neighborhood is a motorcycle-inspired men’s clothing brand, while MSPC Product Sort stocks innovative bags for men made in Japan (the bags, not the men).
Anyone with an Instagram account should visit Community Mill/Soda Bar, an interior and design store rated for its gorgeous-looking drinks, like this Christmas special:
Plus, don’t miss California lifestyle store Ron Herman that just opened on December 9th.
3. And choose from a range of unique restaurants and cafés
Thanks to its small but perfectly formed stack of innovative eateries, Marine & Walk really sets itself apart from other shopping complexes in Yokohama.
Here you’ll need to queue for a seat at the one and only Pie Holic; a popular pie restaurant with a California soul food atmosphere that’s surely leading the way for the next Japanese food trend — you heard it here first. Cozy and casual with an open kitchen and oceanside setting, you’ll be forgiven for wanting to eat all the pies.
To stuff yourself with loco moco, shrimp and glazed donuts from the famed Honolulu bakery Kamehameha, head to Kaka’ako Dining & Cafe. If you’re in the mood for Japanese fare, sushi at Tsukiji Tamazushi or gourmet udon at Kanmi Sabo should fill the gap. For something completely different, NTL Yokohama Bay Cafe combines lunch and table tennis.
Marine & Walk Yokohama is also set to be the latest home for a new Peanuts Diner, themed around the iconic American comic strip (eek!).
© 2018 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
4. There are regular discounts and promotional campaigns
Keen to continue attracting more customers, Marine & Walk runs regular discount campaigns throughout the year. Right now, there are two ways to get your money’s worth for Christmas: Any customers who take a taxi from either Minatomirai, Bashamichi or Sakuragicho stations to Marine & Walk on weekdays will receive a refund on the fare when they spend more than ¥5,000 in a restaurant (the taxi fare will be deducted from your bill), and those who spend more than ¥10,800 in a store (weekends included) will ship items free of charge. So you can pretty much act like Kim Kardashian and have someone drive you to shop, then get it all delivered to your house later. Both campaigns will run until December 25th, with a plan in the works to continue through to February 2018. Check the Marine & Walk Yokohama website for updates.
5. You can join community fitness and creative events
The people behind the mall see it as more than just a place to shop and eat. Also functioning as a community event space, Marine & Walk organizes frequent events with a particular focus on fitness, health and wellbeing, including hosting the Shonan Yoga project, an outdoor yoga workshop along the promenade as well as the coach-led Marine & Run running club.
Health food markets and a return of the Greenroom Festival, celebrating local music, art and film, are also on the agenda for the future. From November the mall has been hosting a free Christmas workshop on the weekend, such as wreath making with the support of local florists. Future brides can also rent the space for a unique waterfront wedding.
6. It’s easy to combine a visit as part of a longer trip to Yokohama
Marine & Walk’s waterfront location, a short walk away from the cosmopolitan Minato Mirai makes for a perfect day of shopping and sightseeing.
For the kids, the Cosmo World amusement park and the Cup Noodles Museum are just around the corner; moms in need of a pamper can sneak away to the Manyo Club spa next door.
Also in the area is the Sky Garden Observatory and the Yokohama Museum of Art. Shop and restaurant staff at Marine & Walk are happy to give recommendations on what to do but we’d suggest wandering around and seeing where your day takes you. Maybe we’ll meet you there!
The Deets
Address: 1-3-1 Shinko,Naka-ku,Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa prefecture
Access: Bashamichi station (Exit 6), Nihon Odori station, Sakuragicho station or Minato Mirai station (about 10 – 15 minutes walk)
Business hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Restaurants open until 11 p.m.)
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