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Yamanashi · Capital · Core city

Kōfu

甲府市こうふしKōfu-shi

The Takeda capital in the Kōfu Basin

Kōfu is the capital of Yamanashi Prefecture, set in the Kōfu Basin with Mount Fuji visible to the south and the Southern Alps to the west. Founded as the seat of the Takeda clan in 1519, it is known for sites connected with Takeda Shingen, the Shōsenkyō gorge, its jewellery industry and as a base for the vineyards and hot springs of the basin.

Overview

Kōfu lies in the north-central part of the Kōfu Basin, ringed by mountains: the Southern Alps to the west, the Okuchichibu range to the north and, rising above the Misaka hills to the south, Mount Fuji. The city stretches from the basin floor north into the mountains, taking in the granite gorge of Shōsenkyō.

Its history begins in 1519, when Takeda Nobutora moved his residence to Tsutsujigasaki and laid out a town below it; the name Kōfu means "capital of Kai". Under his son Shingen it was the centre of one of Japan's most powerful domains. After the Takeda fell, a stone castle was built nearer the plain, and in the Edo period Kōfu was a shogunal stronghold and a staging point on the Kōshū Kaidō.

Modern Kōfu is the administrative and commercial centre of Yamanashi and a hub of the jewellery trade, which grew from the carving of local rock crystal. It is also the gateway to the wineries of Katsunuma and Fuefuki and the hot springs of Yumura and Isawa, about an hour and a half by train from Shinjuku.

Landmarks

  • Kōfu Castle (Maizuru Castle Park)

    甲府城Kōfu-jō

    Stone walls of the early-modern castle next to the station, with a reconstructed Inari turret.

  • Takeda Shrine

    武田神社Takeda Jinja

    Shrine to Shingen on the site of the Tsutsujigasaki residence, whose moats and earthworks survive.

  • Kai Zenkō-ji

    甲斐善光寺Kai Zenkō-ji

    Temple founded by Shingen with a vast main hall and a "singing dragon" ceiling that echoes when clapped under.

  • Shōsenkyō

    昇仙峡Shōsenkyō

    Granite gorge with the Sengataki falls and the Kakuenpō rock pinnacle, a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.

  • Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art

    山梨県立美術館Yamanashi Kenritsu Bijutsukan

    Art museum known for its collection of works by Jean-François Millet, including The Sower.

  • Kōshū Yume-kōji

    甲州夢小路Kōshū Yume-kōji

    Recreated lane of Meiji- and Taishō-style shops by the castle and station.

Districts

  • Station and castle

    甲府駅周辺Kōfu-eki shūhen

    Central Kōfu with the castle park on the south side of the station and Shingen's statue.

  • Takeda-dōri

    武田通りTakeda-dōri

    Avenue running north from the station uphill to Takeda Shrine.

  • Yumura

    湯村Yumura

    Hot-spring quarter on the north-western edge of the city.

  • Shōsenkyō

    昇仙峡Shōsenkyō

    Mountainous northern district with the gorge and crystal shops.

History

Takeda Nobutora founded Kōfu in 1519, and Takeda Shingen and his son Katsuyori ruled from Tsutsujigasaki until 1582, when Katsuyori abandoned it shortly before the clan's destruction. After Tokugawa and Toyotomi forces took control, Kōfu Castle was built on a hill closer to the plain. In 1724 the shogunate took direct control of Kai, and Kōfu was governed by officials from Edo.

In the Meiji era Kōfu became the prefectural capital and a centre of silk. The Chūō Main Line arrived in 1903. An air raid in July 1945 destroyed much of the city. Kōfu became a core city in 2019.

  1. 1519

    Takeda Nobutora builds the Tsutsujigasaki residence and founds Kōfu.

  2. 1521

    Takeda Shingen is born.

  3. 1558

    Shingen founds Kai Zenkō-ji to protect the image from Zenkō-ji in Nagano during the wars with Uesugi Kenshin.

  4. 1582

    The Takeda leave Kōfu; the clan is destroyed the same year.

  5. c. 1600

    Kōfu Castle is completed on the hill of Ichijō-kojima.

  6. 1724

    Kai comes under direct shogunate rule, with Kōfu as its administrative centre.

  7. 1889

    Kōfu is incorporated as a city.

  8. 1903

    The Chūō Main Line reaches Kōfu.

  9. 1945

    An air raid in July destroys much of the city.

  10. 2019

    Kōfu becomes a core city.

Culture

Kōfu treats Takeda Shingen as its founding hero: his statue stands in front of the station, his wind-forest-fire-mountain banner appears across the city, and the Shingen-kō Festival each April recreates his army's departure for the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. The jewellery trade, with a public jewellery museum and training institute, is a distinctive part of the city's identity.

Festivals

  • Shingen-kō Festival

    信玄公祭りShingen-kō Matsuri

    Held in April around Shingen's death anniversary, with a procession of the Takeda army in armour.

Food

  • Hōtō

    ほうとうhōtō

    Flat noodles stewed with pumpkin in miso, served in iron pots.

  • Torimotsu-ni

    鳥もつ煮torimotsu-ni

    Glazed chicken giblets from Kōfu's soba shops, which won national fame in 2010.

  • Awabi no nigai

    あわびの煮貝awabi no nigai

    Soy-simmered abalone, a Kōfu delicacy since the Edo period.

  • Shingen mochi

    信玄餅Shingen mochi

    Rice cakes with roasted soybean flour and brown-sugar syrup.

  • Local wine

    甲州ワインKōshū wain

    Wines of the basin, including some made within the city.

Getting around

  • Kōfu Station is on the JR Chūō Line, about an hour and a half from Shinjuku by the Azusa and Kaiji limited expresses, and the start of the Minobu Line to Fuji.
  • Buses from the station serve Takeda Shrine, Shōsenkyō and Yumura onsen; the Takeda Shrine is about 20 minutes' walk uphill.
  • Express buses link Kōfu with Shinjuku, Fujikawaguchiko, Nagoya and Osaka via the Chūō Expressway.

Day trips

  • Katsunuma wineries

    勝沼Katsunuma

    Vineyards and wineries in Kōshū City, 20 minutes by train.

  • Erin-ji

    恵林寺Erin-ji

    Zen temple in Kōshū with Shingen's tomb and a garden attributed to Musō Soseki.

  • Fuji Five Lakes

    富士五湖Fuji-goko

    Lakes on Fuji's northern slopes, about an hour by bus.

  • Kinpu-san

    金峰山Kinpu-san

    Granite summit of the Okuchichibu range above Shōsenkyō.

  • Southern Alps

    南アルプスMinami Arupusu

    Trailheads for Kita-dake at Hirogawara, reached by bus from Kōfu in the climbing season.

Other cities in the prefecture

TownFujikawaguchikoFujikawaguchiko-machiFour of the Fuji Five Lakes beneath the mountain's northern faceCityFujiyoshidaFujiyoshida-shiThe pilgrims' gateway on Fuji's northern slope

Frequently asked questions

What is Kōfu known for?

As the capital of Takeda Shingen, for its castle and Takeda Shrine, the Shōsenkyō gorge, jewellery and crystal craft, and as the gateway to Yamanashi's wine country.

Can you see Mount Fuji from Kōfu?

Yes, on clear days Fuji appears above the Misaka mountains to the south; the castle park and the hills around the basin are good viewpoints.

How do I get from Tokyo to Kōfu?

By JR Chūō Line limited express from Shinjuku in about an hour and a half, or by express bus via the Chūō Expressway.

When is the Shingen-kō Festival?

Every April, on a weekend around the anniversary of Shingen's death on 12 April.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.甲府市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 甲府市
  3. 3.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization

Editorial team · Published: