It soon became a major sightseeing spot in Yokohama. Interest among Japanese people grew and led to an explosion in the number of visitors to Chinatown. In 1972, Japan established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and severed relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan. That is when the Chinatown was officially recognized and called Yokohama Chukagai (Yokohama Chinatown). In 1955, a large goodwill gate was built. After the war ended, Chinatown once again began to grow.

In 1937, full-scale war between China and Japan erupted, effectively stopping further growth of Chinatown. Chinatown also suffered and many immigrants chose to return to China instead of rebuilding their lives in Yokohama. Around 100,000 people were killed and approximately 1.9 million people became homeless. In 1923, the Kanto Area was devastated by the Great Kantō earthquake. In 1899, new laws gave Chinese increased freedom of movement while reinforcing strict rules on the types of work Chinese people were allowed to perform. However, government regulations at the time meant that immigrants were not permitted to live outside of the designated foreign settlement area. Many Chinese traders came to Japan and built a Chinese school, Chinese community center, and various other facilities in what represented the beginning of Chinatown.

Later, ferry services from Yokohama to Shanghai and Hong Kong were started. In 1859, when the sea port opened in Yokohama, many Chinese immigrants arrived in Japan and formed settlements.

Restaurant town tokyo