Day 4 (Part 1) Yamashita Park and Osanbashi Pier

Beautiful day today here in Yokohama! The high was 77, the humidity was high, but there was a great breeze coming off the bay. I took a walk from the Grand down the shore to Yamashita Park. It's a seaside park full of big shade trees and benches for people to get outside and relax.

 I saw a lot of people taking their lunches under a tree and there was a nursery group taking the kids out for play time. It was adorable to see the toddlers being pushed around in oversized grocery carts! All the kids had hats on distinguishing their class. All you could see of the toddlers in the cart was their little pink hats popping over the edge. Such cuties!

On my way to the park I passed the Osanbashi pier. It was originally built in 1894, but was redone in 2002 to accommodate large cruise ships. I was lucky enough to spot a bride and groom getting their pictures taken on top of the pier.

The park itself was just a lush green space. Through the middle of the park were these trees that smelled absolutely amazing! They didn't have any flowers though! I sat under one of those trees and enjoyed a coffee. The maintenance men use actual straw brooms to sweep up the leaves to keep everything looking neat and tidy.

At the end of the park there was a beautiful rose garden with dozens of different colors and types of roses.

And a fountain that looks like an imposing koi fish.

And I found a monument to the Girl Scouts of Japan and the US.

Floating outside the park is the Hikawa Muru, an transoceanic ship that transported the Imperial family and Charlie Chaplin between the US and Japan. It's decommissioned and now serves as a museum.