Hōfu



Hōfu (防府市) is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 114,846 and a population density of 610 persons per km². The total area of the city is 92.13 sqkm.

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
 * Yamaguchi
 * Shūnan

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. The average annual rainfall is 1653.7 mm with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.5 C, and lowest in January, at around 5.0 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Hōfu was 37.7 C on 11 August 2013; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -8.1 C on 22 January 2004.

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

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. 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).

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 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.

Railway
JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line
 * Tonomi - Hōfu Freight Terminal - Hōfu - Daidō

Highways

 * JP Expressway E2.svg San'yō Expressway

Sister Cities

 * [[Image:Flag of Japan.svg|25px]] Akitakata, Hiroshima, Japan since July 16, 1971
 * [[Image:Flag of South Korea.svg|25px]] Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea since October 29, 1991
 * [[Image:Flag of US.svg|25px]] Monroe, Michigan, United States, since May 29, 1993

Local attractions

 * Hōfu Tenman-gū
 * Tamanooya Shrine, ichinomiya of Suō Province
 * Suō Kokubun-ji, National Historic Site
 * Mōri Museum

Sports

 * Hofu Keirin venue

Notable people

 * Taneda Santōka, poet
 * Kamiyama Mitsunoshin, 11th Governor-General of Taiwan
 * Gin Maeda, actor
 * Hiroki Yasumoto, voice actor