Hōfu
防府市
City
Hofu city seen from Hōfu Tenman-gū shrine.
Hofu city seen from Hōfu Tenman-gū shrine.
Flag of Hōfu
Flag
Location of Hōfu in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Hōfu is located in Japan
Hōfu
Hōfu
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°3′5″N 131°33′45″E / 34.05139°N 131.56250°E / 34.05139; 131.56250
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'yō)
PrefectureYamaguchi
Government
 • MayorYutaka Ikeda
Area
 • Total189.37 km2 (73.12 sq mi)
Population
 (May 31, 2023)
 • Total114,846
 • Density610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address7-1, Kotobukichō, Hōfu-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 747-8501
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerScarlet Sage
TreeSangoju (Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki)
Hōfu City Hall
Aerial photograph of central Hōfu
Hōfu Tenman-gu

Hōfu (防府市, Hōfu-shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 May 2023, the city had an estimated population of 114,846 and a population density of 610 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 92.13 square kilometres (35.57 sq mi).

Geography

Hōfu is located almost in the center of Yamaguchi Prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea to the south. The Saba River, a first-class water system, flows from the northwest of the city toward the Seto Inland Sea. On the offshore side, the remains of former salt fields have been reclaimed to form a plain. In the Seto Inland Sea, five islands, Sabajima, Mukaishima, Nojima, Hirashima, and Okishima, belong to the city.

Neighbouring municipalities

Yamaguchi Prefecture

Climate

Hōfu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is much higher in summer than in winter. The average annual temperature in Hōfu is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,653.7 mm (65.11 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), and lowest in January, at around 5.0 °C (41.0 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Hōfu was 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) on 11 August 2013; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.1 °C (17.4 °F) on 22 January 2004.[3]

Climate data for Hōfu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.8
(65.8)		 21.4
(70.5)		 23.9
(75.0)		 28.7
(83.7)		 31.8
(89.2)		 32.9
(91.2)		 37.4
(99.3)		 37.7
(99.9)		 36.9
(98.4)		 30.8
(87.4)		 25.9
(78.6)		 23.9
(75.0)		 37.7
(99.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.7
(49.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 14.2
(57.6)		 19.4
(66.9)		 24.0
(75.2)		 26.7
(80.1)		 30.4
(86.7)		 31.8
(89.2)		 28.5
(83.3)		 23.5
(74.3)		 17.7
(63.9)		 12.1
(53.8)		 20.7
(69.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.0
(41.0)		 5.9
(42.6)		 9.1
(48.4)		 14.0
(57.2)		 18.8
(65.8)		 22.4
(72.3)		 26.3
(79.3)		 27.5
(81.5)		 23.9
(75.0)		 18.2
(64.8)		 12.5
(54.5)		 7.2
(45.0)		 15.9
(60.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.7
(33.3)		 1.3
(34.3)		 4.0
(39.2)		 8.7
(47.7)		 13.7
(56.7)		 18.8
(65.8)		 23.1
(73.6)		 24.0
(75.2)		 20.0
(68.0)		 13.5
(56.3)		 7.6
(45.7)		 2.7
(36.9)		 11.5
(52.7)
Record low °C (°F) −8.1
(17.4)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 3.6
(38.5)		 9.6
(49.3)		 16.2
(61.2)		 17.1
(62.8)		 8.5
(47.3)		 1.8
(35.2)		 −0.9
(30.4)		 −6.0
(21.2)		 −8.1
(17.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 55.6
(2.19)		 68.9
(2.71)		 119.3
(4.70)		 142.8
(5.62)		 184.1
(7.25)		 241.8
(9.52)		 315.7
(12.43)		 147.7
(5.81)		 159.6
(6.28)		 88.4
(3.48)		 75.1
(2.96)		 54.9
(2.16)		 1,653.7
(65.11)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 8.4 8.7 10.2 9.7 8.9 11.7 10.8 8.0 9.0 6.0 7.6 8.6 107.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours 139.4 143.5 174.5 190.8 209.5 148.6 173.9 212.7 172.1 182.2 154.6 143.6 2,045.4
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2][3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Hōfu in 2020 is 113,979 people.[4] Hōfu has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 61,807—    
1925 64,395+4.2%
1930 65,721+2.1%
1935 72,616+10.5%
1940 76,389+5.2%
1945 89,843+17.6%
1950 93,939+4.6%
1955 96,821+3.1%
1960 94,513−2.4%
1965 94,342−0.2%
1970 97,009+2.8%
1975 105,540+8.8%
1980 111,468+5.6%
1985 118,067+5.9%
1990 117,634−0.4%
1995 118,803+1.0%
2000 117,724−0.9%
2005 116,818−0.8%
2010 116,641−0.2%
2015 115,942−0.6%
2020 113,979−1.7%
Hōfu population statistics[4]

History

The area of Hōfu was part of an ancient Suō Province, and the name "Hōfu" (防府) means "the capital (国府) of Suō Province (周防国)". The area has been settled since the Jōmon period. During the Nara period, the Suō Kokubun-ji was located in Hōfu. In the Edo Period, it was part of the holdings of Chōshū Domain. Following the Meiji Restoration, the area was divided into villages within Saba District, Yamaguchi, including the villages of Saba and Mitajiri with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The two villages merged to form the town of Hōfu on January 1, 1902. Hōfu was elevated to city status on August 25, 1936.[5] The city's change over the past fifty years is shown in the animated film Mai Mai Miracle, with its story taking place in the year of 1955 (with flashbacks going 1,000 years further back).[6]

Government

Hōfu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 25 members. Hōfu contributes four members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Yamaguchi 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Hōfu was a port settlement and noted for its salt production in ancient times. In the early modern period, the area rapidly industrialized, with textile mills and large scale factories established on the site of the former salt farms and coastal areas. There are a large concentration of transportation-related industries in the area. In addition to the large Mazda automobile factory[7] companies such as Bridgestone, Kyowa Hakko Bio, and Tokai Carbon are in the city. The city is also home to an Japan Air Self-Defense Force training base.

Education

Hōfu has 17 public elementary school and ten public junior high schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one private junior high school and two private high schools. The private Yamaguchi Junior College is located in the city.

Transportation

Railway

JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line

Highways

Sister Cities

Local attractions

Sports

  • Hofu Keirin venue[11]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "Hōfu City official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. 1 2 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  3. 1 2 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Hōfu population statistics
  5. ↑ "市の概要・市章(Japanese)".
  6. ↑ Stills from the film juxtaposed with modern photos Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine(in Japanese)
  7. ↑ "Offices Archived October 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine." Mazda. Retrieved on October 29, 2009.
  8. ↑ "防府市の姉妹都市（安芸高田市）(Japanese)".
  9. ↑ "防府市の姉妹都市（春川市・冬のソナタのロケ地）(Japanese)".
  10. ↑ "Monroe, MI". Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010. Twin towning with Monroe, Michigan
  11. ↑ "Home". hofukeirin.jp.
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