Hōfu Explained

Hōfu

Native Name Lang:

Settlement Type:

City

Seal Type:

Emblem

Image Map1:

Hofu in Yamaguchi Prefecture Ja.svg

Pushpin Map:

Japan

Pushpin Map Caption:

Location in Japan

Coordinates:

34.0514°N 131.5625°W

Subdivision Type:

Country

Subdivision Name:

Japan

Subdivision Type1:

Subdivision Name1:

Subdivision Type2:

Subdivision Name2:

Subdivision Type3:

Extinct Title:

Now part of

Leader Title:

Mayor

Leader Name:

Yutaka Ikeda

Leader Title1:

Vice Mayor

Unit Pref:

Metric

Area Total Km2:

189.37

Population Total:

114,846

Population As Of:

May 31, 2023

Population Density Km2:

auto

Timezone1:

JST

Utc Offset1:

+09:00

Blank Name Sec1:

City hall address

Blank Info Sec1:

7-1, Kotobukichō, Hōfu-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 747-8501

Blank Name Sec2:

Climate

Blank Info Sec2:

Cfa

Module:

Embedded:	yes
Tree:	Sangoju (Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki)

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.^[1] The total area of the city is 92.13sqkm.

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 . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Hōfu was on 11 August 2013; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 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.^[2] 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).^[3]

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^[4] 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.