The “Christmas Market at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse” is currently being held at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (1 Shin-kō, Naka-ku, Yokohama).
The concept for this 16th edition is “Time.” The idea is for the history of the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse and the visitors’ own “time” to overlap, allowing everyone to spend their own special “moment.” The event features plans to experience Christmas “time,” including commemorative photos with an officially certified “Santa Claus” from Rovaniemi in northern Finland.
The main venue features approximately 60 food, drink, and goods booths. Offerings include sweets themed around reindeer and snowmen, the German regional dish “Schnitzel,” and hot cocoa. Workshops, such as for making Christmas wreaths, are also being held.
A roughly 12-meter-tall Christmas tree decorated with about 20,000 LED lights features a special light show “Special Illumination” every 15 minutes. The show changes weekly and is synchronized with a different BGM track each week.
Special collaboration content with director Shōji Kawamori’s latest feature-length theatrical animation “Maze no Shiori,” set in Yokohama, has also been prepared. The tree lights up in colors matching the film’s characters in time with the movie’s theme song.
The free-admission “Christmas Village” area adjacent to the main venue creates a space where various Pokémon from the latest “Pokémon” series appear to be visiting the Christmas market.
The new “Christmas Gate” area in “Shinkō Central Square” features decorations, photo spots, and illuminations themed around a “forest,” alongside kitchen trucks serving traditional Christmas sweets, in collaboration with “Yoru no Yo.”
Operating hours are from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (extending to 10:00 PM from December 6th). The Christmas tree lighting time is from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Admission is 500 yen and up (varies by date and ticket type). The event runs until December 25th.
Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
The Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse is a pair of historic waterfront buildings constructed in 1911 and 1913, originally serving as customs houses for the bustling port. After decades of disuse, they were meticulously restored and reopened in 2002 as a popular cultural and commercial complex. Today, they house shops, restaurants, and event halls, symbolizing Yokohama’s blend of its industrial past with modern urban life.
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland and is widely known as the official hometown of Santa Claus. The city was almost completely destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt afterwards based on plans by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Today, it serves as a major Arctic tourism hub, famous for the Santa Claus Village and as a prime location for viewing the Northern Lights.
Schnitzel
“Schnitzel” is not a specific place or cultural site, but a popular dish in Central European cuisine, most famously associated with Austria and Germany. Its history is often traced to the Wiener Schnitzel, a breaded and fried veal cutlet that became a staple in Viennese cuisine in the 19th century, though similar preparations likely have older roots in European culinary traditions. Today, it is a beloved national dish and a symbol of comfort food in the region.
Maze no Shiori
“Maze no Shiori” is a fictional library and central setting in the Japanese light novel and anime series *Bungo Stray Dogs*. It serves as the headquarters for the Armed Detective Agency, a group of gifted individuals who solve supernatural mysteries. While not a real historical site, its literary significance lies in being a sanctuary and strategic base for the series’ protagonists.
Pokémon
Pokémon is a globally popular Japanese media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996, centered around fictional creatures called “Pokémon” that humans, known as Trainers, catch and train for battle. It originated as a pair of video games for the Game Boy and rapidly expanded into a massive franchise including an anime series, trading card game, movies, and merchandise. The franchise’s core concept was inspired by Tajiri’s childhood interest in insect collecting and his desire to create a game that fostered connection and exchange between players.
Shinkō Central Square
Shinkō Central Square is a modern public plaza located in Yokohama, Japan, developed as part of the city’s major waterfront revitalization project in the early 2000s. It serves as a central gathering space in the Minato Mirai district, known for hosting events and offering views of the bay, and symbolizes Yokohama’s transformation from a historic port into a contemporary cultural and business hub.
Yoru no Yo
“Yoru no Yo” (夜の世) is a traditional Japanese cultural concept or establishment, often referring to the historical nighttime entertainment districts, such as those found in cities like Kyoto or Tokyo. These areas have a long history as centers for geisha culture, tea houses, and performing arts, dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868). They represent a preserved world of refined arts, music, and social customs that operate separately from the daytime economy.
Christmas Market at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
The Christmas Market at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse is a festive annual event held at the historic portside complex, which was originally built as customs warehouses in the early 20th century. Inspired by traditional German markets, it features festive decorations, food stalls, and crafts, transforming the iconic brick buildings into a winter wonderland.
