One of the Best New Spots to Visit in Yokohama: ASOBUILD, a Quirky Entertainment Complex
Looking for a new thing to do or place to explore in Yokohama? Launched on March 15th, ASOBUILD is the first entertainment facility of its kind and offers an array of new experiences in Japan. It has garnered plenty of attention from the Japanese media and general public over the past few months for the "new experiences," rich selection of foods, and other offerings it has. Curious to find out more? Keep reading for a thorough report that should answer all the questions you have on Yokohama's newest entertainment complex!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
What is ASOBUILD?
Designed to have a different theme in each floor, ASOBUILD is a brand new complex built by renovating the former annex of the Yokohama Central Post Office. It aims to provide an exciting space where people from all generations can have a great time. With direct access to Yokohama Station, this entertainment facility is perfect for a whole day of fun, with different attractions and experiences spread out from the basement floor all the way to the 4th floor and even the rooftop!
Let’s take a close look at each floor and find out everything this amazing complex has to offer.
1st Floor: Yokohama Station East Exit POST STREET
The POST STREET area was designed by people who love and want to make others fall in love with Yokohama, and consists of 18 different shops that you can enjoy night and day, including Yokohama restaurants that sell staples as well as new, trendy foods. There's also a popular izakaya (Japanese-style pub) from the district of Noge.
This area also connects Yokohama Station's South Passage to the East Exit, which you can easily take to go out to the rest of the city.
Allow us to introduce you to one of the eateries: the cheeseburger joint “DAIGOMI BURGER.” This restaurant is the newest enterprise by DAIGOMI, a nationwide famous Chicago pizza delivery chain. It is all about the cheese, and is run by cheese lovers who want to turn you into a cheese aficionado, too. And with their attractive menu, they might just be able to do that!
For those who are already cheese fans and feel that a simple cheeseburger just won’t do it, we recommend the NYC-style Raclette Cheese Topping and the crispy Kogashi Cheese Chips. One is a burger with an incredible amount of delicious melted cheese and the other has a special blend of cheeses baked to crispy perfection! Which one will you order? It’s all up to you to decide!
2nd Floor: ALE-BOX
The 2nd floor is a space the designers call “a place for carefully picked entertainment experiences.” The events that take place on this floor are scheduled to change periodically and include sports attractions, exhibitions, and many other experiences that use cutting-edge technology.
In March of 2019, the 2nd floor held virtual reality experiences, real-life room escape games, and various exhibitions.
One of the temporary exhibitions going on right now (until July 15, 2019) is the Unko Museum. "Unko" means "poop" in Japanese but don’t worry, the theme here is not the real thing, but rather its cute emoticon counterpart.
This is the first amusement space dedicated to poop in the entire world, and here you will find 4 different areas, all funnily named with the word "unko". You have the "Unko Plaza" where a gigantic poop statue holds the place of honor; the "Unstagrammable Area" with a lot of cute and colorful specimens of poo; the "Untelligence Area" where you can learn more about the history and facts concerning poop worldwide; and finally the "Unteractive Area" where a variety of poop-based games awaits you.
It's a very unique space that attracts people of all ages! Give it a try! It's "uncredibly" fun!
3rd Floor: MONOTORY
This floor offers you the opportunity to work with your hands in a variety of workshops. Renowned artists and artisans of different backgrounds offer classes here every day. You can also visit exhibitions and shop for items.
With more than 200 classes of 20 different genres planned to take place here, this is one of the largest venues for workshops in the country. Take a walk around! You might find that special item you were looking for or maybe you can just make it yourself!
4th Floor: PuChu!
This floor opened in May of 2019. Inspired by the universe, PuChu! is an indoor theme park where children can learn while playing. The seven planets and four zones with different themes that compose the park were envisioned by a team of top creators and artists, and though the facility is meant for children, parents tagging along will find it a very comfortable environment.
Amenities such as nursery rooms, storage rooms for strollers, and toilets for children are other great features that make the park accessible to entire families.
Rooftop: MULTI SPORTS COURT
The rooftop of the complex is equipped with futsal and basketball courts. Special events and classes conducted by professional athletes will be held at the area. This space offers a multitude of uses, including sports classes for children, yoga classes, and court rentals. It’s a great place to move your body and get those endorphins flowing!
B1 Floor: PITCH CLUB
Breaking the concept of what a basement floor should be, PITCH CLUB is basically a playground for grown-ups. In this amusement bar and lounge, you can have fun with a variety of board games as well as enjoy cocktails and other drinks created by one of Japan’s leading bartenders.
How about a game of pool while enjoying top-quality drinks and food?
Head to Yokohama On Your Next Trip Out!
There are so many ways that you can enjoy this new complex! On your next free weekend, you should definitely head to ASOBUILD in Yokohama and try some of the novel experiences they have on offer.
Translated and republished with permission from：Relux Magazine
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
About the author
