Hōfu

Hōfu (Japanese: 防府市) is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

Hōfu 防府市
City
Hofu city seen from Hōfu Tenman-gū shrine.
Flag
Location of Hōfu in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Hōfu Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°3′N 131°34′E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'yō)
Prefecture	Yamaguchi Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Masato Matsuura
Area
• Total	188.59 km2 (72.82 sq mi)
Population  (September 30, 2016)
• Total	117,387
• Density	622.44/km2 (1,612.1/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Sangoju (Viburnum odoratissimum var. awabuki)
• Flower	Scarlet Sage
• Flowering tree	Ume
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City hall address	7-1, Kotobukichō, Hōfu-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 747-8501
Website	www.city.hofu.yamaguchi.jp

History

Hōfu (防府) means "the capital (国府) of Suō Province (周防国)". The eastern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture used to be called called Suō Province.

The city was founded on August 25, 1936.^[1] The city's change over the past fifty years is shown in the animated movie Mai Mai Miracle, and the story takes place in the year 1955 (with flashbacks that go 1,000 years further back).^[2]

References

1. "市の概要・市章(Japanese)".
2. Stills from the film juxtaposed with modern photos Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine(in Japanese)