Featured Business Districts & Business Cost

Yokohama has nine business districts that boast easy access to railway and highway transportation. Office buildings in these districts are more reasonably priced than in central Tokyo; office rental cost in Yokohama is on average 40 percent cheaper than in Tokyo (Miki Shoji, July 2018).

There are a variety of office properties in Yokohama that are capable of meeting the latest high-spec R&D needs, particularly in the Minato Mirai 21 District. These properties have features such as high ceilings and dedicated drainpipes, capability to withstand load and chemical handling, etc. The city strategically supports an increase of R&D centers by subsidizing the construction of R&D office buildings.

Particularly popular districts for international companies are as follows:

Minato Mirai 21 District

The expansive, attractively designed infrastructure in this area is further enhanced by the scenic waterfront view. An increasing number of urban R&D centers of leading companies and other innovation centers are drawn to the district.  Yokohama World Business Support Center (WBC) is located here to offer assistance to international companies relocating or expanding to Yokohama, as is Japan’s largest WeWork.

Shin-Yokohama Station District

The district surrounding Shin-Yokohama station, a stop for Tokaido-line Shinkansen bullet trains, has been chosen by many international and IT companies due to its direct access to major cities throughout Japan. A new Sotetsu rail line is slated to begin operation in April 2019, further upgrading the area’s accessibility to central Tokyo.

Yokohama Station District

It is a lively area crowded with large shopping malls, hotels and office buildings, most of which house offices of IT companies and other major companies.

Kannai District

A major commercial center of Yokohama, this area is especially notable for being the focal point of recent efforts to invigorate the startup ecosystem in Yokohama.