Hōfu 防府市 | |
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 Hofu city seen fromHōfu Tenman-gū shrine. | |
 Flag | |
 Location of Hōfu in Yamaguchi Prefecture | |
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  Hōfu Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates:34°3′5″N131°33′45″E / 34.05139°N 131.56250°E /34.05139; 131.56250 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūgoku (San'yō) |
| Prefecture | Yamaguchi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yutaka Ikeda |
| Area | |
• Total | 189.37 km2 (73.12 sq mi) |
| Population (May 31, 2023) | |
• Total | 114,846 |
| • Density | 606.46/km2 (1,570.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 7-1, Kotobukichō, Hōfu-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 747-8501 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Scarlet Sage |
| Tree | Sangoju(Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki) |
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Hōfu (防府市,Hōfu-shi) is acity located inYamaguchi Prefecture,Japan. As of 31 May 2023[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 114,846 and apopulation density of 610 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 92.13 square kilometres (35.57 sq mi).
Hōfu is located almost in the center of Yamaguchi Prefecture, facing theSeto Inland Sea to the south. TheSaba 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.
Yamaguchi Prefecture
Hōfu has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) 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) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.8 (89.2) | 32.9 (91.2) | 37.4 (99.3) | 37.7 (99.9) | 36.9 (98.4) | 32.0 (89.6) | 26.5 (79.7) | 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) |
| Averageprecipitation 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 monthlysunshine 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] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data, the population of Hōfu in 2020 is 113,979 people.[4] Hōfu has been conducting censuses since 1920.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 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] | ||
The area of Hōfu was part of an ancientSuō Province, and the name "Hōfu" (防府) means "the capital (国府) of Suō Province (周防国)". The area has been settled since theJōmon period. During theNara period, theSuō Kokubun-ji was located in Hōfu. In theEdo Period, it was part of the holdings ofChōshū Domain. Following theMeiji Restoration, the area was divided into villages withinSaba 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 filmMai Mai Miracle, with its story taking place in the year of 1955 (with flashbacks going 1,000 years further back).[6]
Hōfu has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 25 members. Hōfu contributes four members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of theYamaguchi 1st district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
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 largeMazdaautomobile factory[7] companies such as Bridgestone, Kyowa Hakko Bio, and Tokai Carbon are in the city. The city is also home to anJapan Air Self-Defense Force training base.
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 privateYamaguchi Junior College is located in the city.
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JR West (JR West) -San'yō Main Line
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