.yokohama

Overview

• .yokohama is a geographic generic top-level domain (gTLD) created for Yokohama, Japan.
• Sponsored by Yokohama City and operated by GMO Registry (part of GMO Internet Group).
• Intended use includes residents, institutions and businesses of Yokohama, but second‑level registrations are open to the public.
• Official website: https://hello.yokohama/

History

• Application and delegation:
  • The string was applied for under ICANN's new gTLD program and was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 03 April 2014.
• Registry agreement and milestones:
  • 12 December 2013: GMO Registry received a Registry Agreement signed by ICANN (reported by ICANNWiki).
  • 05 June 2014: .yokohama was introduced when ICANN and GMO Internet signed the registry agreement for GMO Registry (reported by Wikipedia).
• Registry operator: GMO Registry (a subsidiary of GMO Internet Group), selected by Yokohama City to develop and operate the TLD.

Usage and Audience

• Target audience:
  • Residents, institutions and businesses in Yokohama.
  • Organisations or individuals wishing to associate their sites with the city of Yokohama.
• City and economic context (from the applicant's description):
  • Yokohama is a major Japanese city with industries such as shipping, biotechnology and semiconductors; the .yokohama TLD was positioned to support the city's online presence and development.
• Registration policy:
  • Second-level domain names under .yokohama are open for registration to everyone; the TLD is not geographically restricted to Yokohama residents.

Registration Rules

• Sponsorship/management:
  • Sponsor/manager: Yokohama City.
  • Registry operator: GMO Registry (GMO Internet Group).
• Eligibility and restrictions:
  • Registrations are open to the general public (second-level names available to everyone).
  • Intended use emphasises Yokohama residents, institutions and businesses, but there is no geographic restriction stated in the available sources.

SEO and Brand Impact

• Brand positioning and marketing:
  • The applicant and registry emphasised a marketing strategy to establish the .yokohama brand both locally and internationally, aiming to extend global reach and mindshare.
  • Stated mission: establish an online presence for the City of Yokohama, provide a meaningful namespace for communication, and contribute to the city's development.
• Trust and perception:
  • The TLD is presented as a city‑branded namespace backed by Yokohama City and a professional registry operator, intended to convey local identity and civic association.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       YOKOHAMA

organisation: GMO Registry, Inc.
address:      26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
address:      Shibuya-ku Tokyo
address:      Japan

contact:      administrative
name:         Representative Director and CEO
organisation: GMO Registry, Inc.
address:      Cerulean Tower
address:      26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
address:      Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8512
address:      Japan
phone:        +81 354561601
fax-no:       +81 337805239
e-mail:       newgtld@gmoregistry.com

contact:      technical
name:         Director
organisation: GMO Registry, Inc.
address:      Cerulean Tower
address:      26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
address:      Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8512
address:      Japan
phone:        +81 354561601
fax-no:       +81 337805239
e-mail:       newgtld@gmoregistry.com

nserver:      A.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.192.4
nserver:      B.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.194.4
nserver:      K.GMOREGISTRY.NET 37.209.196.4
nserver:      L.GMOREGISTRY.NET 2001:dcd:4:0:0:0:0:4 37.209.198.4
ds-rdata:     40754 8 2 e03e2af9c07c1acde150dc51e5a2d8803f70626fb5b6deecdabc5f8fdd0bdbaa

whois:        whois.nic.yokohama

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information:
remarks:      http://www.gmo-registry.com/en/

created:      2014-03-27
changed:      2019-08-20
source:       IANA