Red Brick Warehouse (Yokohama Akarenga Souko)

The Red Brick Warehouse (Yokohama Akarenga Souko) is a pair of historic brick structures on the Yokohama waterfront in Kanagawa Prefecture, originally completed in 1911 as customs inspection warehouses for the port's international trade. The warehouses were among the first reinforced structures using Japanese-produced bricks and represent a significant period of Meiji-era industrial architecture. Heavily damaged in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and again in World War II, the buildings were restored and repurposed as a public cultural facility in 2002.

The two warehouses — No. 1 and No. 2 — serve different functions. Warehouse No. 1 is primarily a performance and event space hosting concerts, exhibitions, craft fairs, and seasonal festivals. Warehouse No. 2 houses a curated selection of retail shops, artisan food producers, craft breweries, and restaurants arranged across two floors. Both warehouses open onto a broad plaza facing Yokohama Bay, where outdoor events regularly take place: an ice skating rink operates in winter, a summer craft beer festival draws large crowds, and seasonal markets fill the plaza with food and craft vendors.

The surrounding waterfront promenade is one of Yokohama's most pleasant urban walks. To the east, the promenade connects to Yamashita Park and the harbour museum district. To the west, the Kishamichi Promenade follows a former railway path to the Minato Mirai district, passing through landscaped park sections. The warehouses are most atmospheric at dusk and into the evening, when the orange-red brick facades catch the last light and the plaza fills with promenaders.

A visit exploring both warehouses typically takes 1 to 2 hours; factoring in a meal or festival event extends the stay. Entry to the warehouses and plaza is free. The nearest station is Nihon-odori on the Minatomirai Line, a 5-minute walk.