[4] “Yokohama Three Towers” symbolizing Yokohama Port are well known with the nicknames of King (Kanagawa prefectural office building), Queen (the Yokohama Customs main building), and Jack (Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall). It is said that foreign sailors entering the port around 1940 would use these three towers as their visual landmarks and began to call them like playing cards.

The oldest building is “Jack.” This was constructed in 1917 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Yokohama Port Opening. This red-brick structured clock tower of 36m in height has become a national important cultural property.

“King” was constructed in 1928 as the fourth generation prefectural office building and is one of the national tangible cultural properties. This 48.6m tall building features a Japanese-style design based on the Teikan (Imperial Crown) Style architecture.

“Queen” was constructed in 1934 as the third generation Yokohama Customs building after the second generation building was collapsed by the Great Kanto Earthquake. This 51.46m tall building is the tallest of Yokohama Three Towers. It is reported that it was likely to be 47m shorter than the “King” tower in the initial design but the height of the tower was extended by 4m because the 22nd Director-General of Yokohama Customs at the time argued that the building of Yokohama Customs standing on the international port as the front entrance of Japan should be the highest.

The Yokohama Customs main building viewed from the sea shows a beautiful symmetrical shape with its tower in the center. Yokohama Akarenga (red brick) Park and Osanbashi Pier have spots where you can look at “Yokohama Three Towers” all at once. We would definitely recommend you to take a stroll around there.