Kannai

Kannai (関内^?) is a district in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, bounded by the Ōoka River, JR Negishi Line, Nakamura River, and Yokohama waterfront. "Kannai" is not an official name of the area, but the common term of reference has been in use for over a century.

Kannai is the heart of administrative and commercial Yokohama, with the Kanagawa Prefectural Government offices, the Yokohama Municipal Government offices, Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters, other governmental offices as well as major business offices within its borders.

Kannai encompasses the old districts of Bashamichi, Chinatown, and Yamashita Park, making Kannai a major tourist destination in Yokohama, rivaling the adjacent Minato Mirai 21.

The Kannai region was part of the ocean until the Edo period, when Yoshida Shinden was reclaimed in 1667. Upon reclamation, the streets were lined up according to a grid plan. And towns (町, machi^?) in the region were auspiciously named after individuals involved with the reclamation, Noh songs, and Hyakunin Isshu, rather than any ancient names.

During the Edo period, Yokohama-mura (横浜村, lit. side beach village^?) was a remote village adjacent to the Kanagawa-juku (神奈川宿^?), one of the 53 stations of Tōkaidō. Upon being demanded by the United States, the Tokugawa shogunate declared Yokohama-mura to be a part of Kanagawa, and then opened its port. The Tokugawa government chose the remotely located Yokohama-mura, to prevent foreigners from entering the bustling Kanagawa-juku.

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