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In a bid to beat Tokyo at its own game, Yokohama now boasts Japan's tallest building and is in the process of creating a nonstop, high-tech international city of the 21st century. Minato Mirai 21 , or MM21 as the development is better known, is rapidly changing the face of Yokohama. A mini-city of hotels, apartment blocks, offices and cultural facilities will eventually occupy over two square kilometres of reclaimed land and disused dockyards, with its own subway line and state-of-the-art waste disposal and heating systems. Building work will continue into 2005, with the subway scheduled for completion the previous year, but already the bulk of the hotels, conference facilities, shopping malls and museums are in place. Next will come the office blocks, exhibition halls and waterfront parks to fill the empty plots behind. At present, access to MM21 is via Sakuragicho train and subway station, from where a covered moving walkway whisks you towards the awesome, 296-metre-tall Landmark Tower . Inside, take the world's fastest lift for an ear-popping, forty-second ride up to the 69th-floor Sky Garden (July-Sept 10am-10pm; Oct-May 10am-9pm; Y1000). On clear days, when Fuji is flaunting her beauty, superb views more than justify the observatory's steep entry fee. Alternatively, if you don't mind missing the thrill of the elevator, you can enjoy a coffee for about the same price in the opulent Sirius Sky Lounge on the seventhieth floor of the Nikko Hotel , or splash out on an early-evening cocktail as the city lights spread their magic. Next door, the Landmark Plaza consists of a swanky shopping mall around a five-storey-high atrium. Here you'll find flash boutiques, Yurindo bookstore - with an excellent foreign-language section - and plenty of restaurants, bars and coffee shops, some of which are built into the stone walls of an old dry dock. Another water-filled dock in front of Landmark Tower is now home to the sleek Nippon-maru sail training ship, part of the enjoyable Yokohama Maritime Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-4.30/5pm; July & Aug 10am-6.30pm; Y600). The Nippon-maru was built in 1930 and served up until 1984, during which time she sailed the equivalent of 45 times round the world; when her pristine white sails are hoisted twice monthly, it's clear why she's more familiarly known as the Swan of the Pacific . You can explore the entire vessel, from the engine room to the captain's wood-panelled cabin. There's copious English labelling and alternating Japanese and English commentary over the loudspeakers. The museum's main exhibition rooms occupy a purpose-built underground hall beside the ship. In addition to well-designed coverage of Yokohama's historical development, there's also a lot about the modern port and the technical side of sailing, though little in English. Nevertheless, you can still test your navigational skills at a mock-up bridge with a simulator, or have a bash at unloading a container vessel. Landmark Tower stands in the extreme southern corner of MM21. Off to the east, the stepped towers of Queen's Square , another vast complex containing shops, offices and a concert hall, and the sail-shaped Intercontinental Hotel , fill the skyline. More inviting is the slowly revolving Cosmo Clock 21 (daily except Thurs: mid-March to Nov 11am-9/10pm; Dec to mid-March 11am-8/9pm; Y700), standing on the adjacent island. With a capacity of 480 passengers, this 112-metre ferris wheel claims to be the world's largest; one circuit takes around fifteen minutes, allowing plenty of time to admire the view. The island, known as Shinko-cho , was reclaimed about a hundred years ago as part of Yokohama's state-of-the-art port facilities. Two of the red-brick warehouses survive and are in the process of reopening to the public as the focus of the Akarenga entertainment and shopping complex. MM21's two major museums are to be found in the blocks immediately north of Landmark Tower. Head first for the splendid Yokohama Museum of Art (daily except Thurs 10am-6pm; Y500; varying prices for special exhibitions) in which mostly twentieth-century Japanese and Western art is set off to fine effect by designer Tange Kenzo's cool, grey space. In fact, the architecture - particularly the magnificent central atrium - grabs your attention as much as the exhibits. The photography galleries are always worth checking out, while the Art Library contains a wealth of international art and design publications. Kids will be in their element at the Mitsubishi Minato Mirai Industrial Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-5.30pm; Y500; www.mhi.co.jp/e_museum/ef_home.html ) in the neighbouring block. The museum's six well-laid-out zones illustrate technological developments, from today's power generators, oil platforms and deep-sea probes to the space stations of tomorrow. There are plenty of models and interactive displays, with English-speaking staff on hand if needed, but the biggest draw is the "Sky-Walk Adventure" up on the second floor. At one time kids were queuing round the block to have a ride in this helicopter simulator, though it's now usually pretty clear. After a two-minute flying lesson, you get to take the "real" chopper swooping and soaring over Fuji or down into the Grand Canyon for a stomach-wrenching fifteen-minute ride.
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