⚡ 30-Second Answer: Yokohama = 30 min port city from Tokyo, 1-2 day stay suffices, 5-day budget ¥70-150K. Minato Mirai + Chinatown + Yamashita Park = standard route, exchange at Yokohama Sta Travelex (mid-3.2%) and Chinatown, 24h ATMs at Yokohama Sta / Sakuragicho 7-Eleven. Best as Tokyo day-trip or 1-night combo.
Quick Reference
Value
Stay
1-2 days
5-day budget
¥70-150K
Chinatown
Food central
Exchange
Yokohama Sta / Chinatown
From Tokyo
JR 30 min
Last verified
June 2026
📖8 min read
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The single-page pillar for handling money in Yokohama. Yokohama is 25-30 min from Tokyo on the Tokaido / Yokosuka lines (¥480), 25 min from Haneda Airport on the Keikyu line (¥320) — the most accessible "other big city" from Tokyo. Minato Mirai and Motomachi take cards at 90%+ like Tokyo, Yokohama Chinatown is half-card half-cash, and Yokohama Station West Exit hosts WCS / Daikoku-ya / Travelex — a real exchange hub.
This page covers the Haneda / Tokyo Station departure → Yokohama Station → Minato Mirai → Chinatown → Motomachi / Yamate money flow across 6 axes.
TL;DR — your no-stress Yokohama money playbook
Cash to carry: ¥5,000-10,000/day per person (Chinatown small shops, food stalls, sightseeing bus, shrines)
Best exchange: WCS Yokohama Joinus (directly connected to Yokohama Station West Exit), or Daikoku-ya Yokohama West Exit, mid −1.0 to −1.5%
Best ATM: Seven Bank inside Yokohama Station + Minato Mirai / Chinatown / Motomachi konbini, mid-market with Wise/Revolut
Hotels: Yokohama Station area ¥10,000-18,000, Minato Mirai luxury ¥25,000-50,000, Shin-Yokohama ¥8,000-15,000. Compare Rakuten Travel / Agoda / Jalan / JTB
Haneda → Yokohama: Keikyu Main Line ¥320 (25 min) / Tokyo Station → Yokohama: Tokaido Line ¥480 (25 min)
8 lines intersect here: JR Tokaido, Yokosuka, Shonan-Shinjuku; Keikyu; Tokyu Toyoko; Sotetsu; Yokohama Municipal Subway; Minatomirai Line. Around the station you have Takashimaya, Joinus, Sogo, Lumine, and Porta department stores. Card acceptance 95%, 4-5 exchange shops. Hotels include Yokohama Bay Sheraton and Tokyu REI at the mid-tier.
Minato Mirai (21st-century bay zone)
Landmark Tower, Queen's Square, Red Brick Warehouse, Cosmo World, Yokohama Museum of Art. Card acceptance 95-100%, cashless like Tokyo. Hotels here are Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu, Pan Pacific, InterContinental Yokohama Grand — high-end. Sakuragicho + Minatomirai + Bashamichi stations access this area.
Yokohama Chinatown (Japan's largest, 600+ shops)
Walkable from Ishikawacho or Motomachi-Chukagai stations. 600+ shops crammed into 0.2 km² between 10 ornate gates. Main-street big names (China Daihanten, Manchinro) take cards 80-90%, but side-alley dim-sum shops, fortune tellers, and Chinese groceries lean cash 50-70%. A few shops offer direct CNY → JPY exchange for Chinese visitors.
Motomachi / Yamate (Western architecture + high fashion)
Motomachi Shopping Street is upscale fashion, jewelry, bakeries — European visitor heavy. Yamate has Western houses, the Foreign Cemetery, and Harbor View Park. Card acceptance 95%. Accessed via Ishikawacho, Motomachi-Chukagai, or Yamate stations.
Shin-Yokohama (Shinkansen + Ramen Museum)
Nozomi and Hikari Shinkansen stop here — 18 minutes from Tokyo Station. Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum (¥450 entry + ¥800-1,200 per ramen) is the local destination. Popular as a hotel base for Yokohama Arena concert-goers. 11-15 min to Yokohama Station by JR / municipal subway.
Which kind of traveler are you in Yokohama?
Yokohama mixes a card-heavy bay zone with a cash-leaning Chinatown and a big Chinese-visitor flow. Match your row.
If you're…
Yokohama money move
Why
A Chinatown food-and-souvenir visitor
Carry cash; many small stalls prefer it
The 600+ Chinatown shops lean cash for street food and small buys
A Chinese visitor with CNY
Exchange at a Yokohama Station counter, or use a Seven Bank ATM
CNY is well-stocked here; a card at the ATM still beats most counters
Carrying a Wise or Revolut card
Pull yen at a Yokohama Station / Minato Mirai Seven Bank ATM
Near mid-market, 24/7; skip the counters
Sightseeing Minato Mirai / Motomachi
Card-first; small cash buffer
The bay malls and Motomachi fashion are near-100% card
Day-tripping from Tokyo
Sort cash in Tokyo first if you want the best rate
18 min from Tokyo Station — no need to rely on a Yokohama counter
2. Exchange — Yokohama Station West Exit + Minato Mirai are the two hubs
Flagship shops (USD, May 2026)
Shop
Rate vs mid-market
Hours
Location
WCS Yokohama Joinus
−1.0 to −1.5%
10:00-21:00
Yokohama Station West Exit Joinus 2F, same rate as Tokyo WCS
Several Chinatown shops accept direct CNY → JPY exchange including Kobe Kakyo Shoten. Rate around mid −2 to −3%, often better than bank windows. WeChat Pay / Alipay acceptance is also widespread, so using QR payment directly without exchanging is often the easiest move.
Haneda arrivals
Exchange at Haneda → Keikyu to Yokohama Station in 25 min is the fastest path. But Haneda exchange runs mid −3 to −5% (poor), so the smart split is ¥10,000 at Haneda, top up at Yokohama Station West Exit WCS for mainland-level rates.
Emergency Wise / Revolut
7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson ATMs are dense around Yokohama Station, Minato Mirai, Chinatown, and Motomachi. 24/7 mid-market — pull ¥20,000-30,000 in one shot for fee efficiency.
3. ATMs — dense around station, Minato Mirai, and Chinatown
Bank of Yokohama / Kiraboshi Bank have plenty of ATMs around the station, but foreign-issued cards get rejected at a high rate. Stick to Seven Bank, E-net (FamilyMart / Lawson), and Lawson Bank.
Over 50% of major Chinatown restaurants accept WeChat Pay / Alipay. Chinese visitors can use home-country QR payment with no exchange needed. Combined with a regular credit card, cash is barely required.
5. Hotels — Yokohama Station, Minato Mirai, and Shin-Yokohama are different tiers
Yokohama hotels sell out on weekends and Yokohama Arena event days — book 2-3 weeks ahead. Shin-Yokohama hotels combine Shinkansen access + cost and double as a Tokyo-sightseeing base.
6. Connectivity — full LTE / 5G everywhere, Tokyo-grade
Yokohama Station, Minato Mirai, Chinatown, Motomachi, Yamate, and Shin-Yokohama are all full LTE / 5G — equivalent to Tokyo 23 wards quality. Subway stations are Wi-Fi equipped. Even harbor cruise boats (Marine Rouge, Sea Bass) have near-shore LTE.
"Aka-i Kutsu" loop bus (Yokohama Station → Chinatown → Yamashita Park → Red Brick): ¥220/ride or ¥600 day pass
FAQ
Q: How much cash should I bring to Yokohama?
A: ¥5,000-10,000 per person per day. Card acceptance is high, so cash is mostly for Chinatown side-alley shops, shrine offerings, the sightseeing bus, and vending machines. For 2 nights, ¥15,000-20,000 is enough.
Q: Should I pre-exchange in Tokyo or just exchange in Yokohama?
A: Same rate either way. WCS / Daikoku-ya at Yokohama Station West Exit match Tokyo rates (mid −1.0 to −1.5%). For Haneda arrivals, exchanging in Yokohama is more convenient.
Q: Are many Chinatown shops cash-only?
A: Main-street (Chukagai Odori) big restaurants take cards 80-90%. Side-alley dim sum, small grocers, fortune tellers, and souvenir shops lean cash. Keep ¥3,000-5,000 cash buffer before entering.
Q: I have CNY (Chinese yuan) for Chinatown — what's the play?
A: Several shops including Kobe Kakyo Shoten exchange CNY → JPY directly, at mid −2 to −3% (better than banks). Many shops accept WeChat Pay / Alipay, so QR payment without exchange is often the easiest.
Q: Stay at Shin-Yokohama or Yokohama Station?
A: For Tokyo-focused trips, Shin-Yokohama (18 min by Shinkansen) + Yokohama as a day trip is cost-effective. For Yokohama-focused, stay at Yokohama Station or Minato Mirai. On Yokohama Arena event days, Shin-Yokohama wins.
Q: How to get from Haneda to Yokohama?
A: Keikyu Main Line Airport Express ¥320 (25 min) is the cheapest and fastest. Via Tokyo Station on the Tokaido Line is ¥640 (Tokyo to Yokohama 25 min) and a detour. Keikyu connects directly to Haneda International Terminal — zero transfer stress.