The Minatomirai Line of the Yokohama Rapid Railway services the Minatomirai 21 waterfront area, connecting downtown areas with the Kannai and Yamashita areas. The 4.1km line linking Yokohama Station with Motomachi-Chukagai Station was established with the aim of greater integration of Yokohama’s urban center. In March 1989, the third sector company Yokohama Rapid Railway Corporation was founded, and by November 1992, work was underway. The Minatomirai Line finally opened on February 1 2004. Since operation commenced, the service has been supplemented by the Tokyu Toyoko Line, thus linking central Yokohama with central Tokyo. The line forms part of the wider Tokyo area transport network, and from March 16 2013, onward services from Shibuya Station on the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line and the Tobu Tojo Line have linked the Yokohama area with southwestern Saitama – greatly improving access.

Each station on the Minatomirai Line features unique architectural design based on the concept of creating an ‘urban gallery’, and the stations feature atriums and other open spaces. The goal is to express the unique character and appeal of local areas, and ultimately provide a sense of local identity and connectedness. The railway line incorporates a sense of the local ‘flavor’ of the new urban center Minatomirai 21, whilst at the same time highlighting the historical architecture and local history found in nearby Chinatown and elsewhere.