Kōfu, Tottori

Kōfu (江府町, Kōfu-chō) is a town located in the northeast of Hino District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

Kōfu

江府町
Town
Mount Kagikake, Kōfu, Tottori Prefecture
Flag
Seal
Location of Kōfu in Tottori Prefecture
Kōfu
 
Coordinates: 35°17′N 133°29′E
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku
San'in
PrefectureTottori Prefecture
DistrictHino
Government
 • MayorToshirō Takeuchi (elected 2004)
Area
 • Total124.52 km2 (48.08 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2016)
 • Total2,950
 • Density24/km2 (61/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeJapanese Beech (Buna)
- FlowerIris
Phone number0859-75-2211
Address475 Ebi, Kōfu-chō, Tottori-ken 1689-4401
WebsiteTown of Kōfu, Official Site(in Japanese)

As of October 2016, the town has an estimated population of 2,950, with a population density of 24 persons per km².[1] The total area of Kōfu is 124.66 square kilometres (48.13 sq mi).[2][3]

Etymology

The name of the town of Kōfu was chosen in a referendum by its residents. In the Japanese language it is formed from two kanji characters. The first, 江, means "water", and the second, 府 means "center" or "core".[3]

Geography

Kōfu is located in the Chūgoku Mountains. The northeast part of the town is on a plateau composed of pyroclastic soil. at the southern foot of Mount Daisen. The Hino River flows through the western part of the town. The southern part of the town, which borders Okayama Prefecture, is at a high altitude and is dominated by Mount Giboshi (1,110 metres (3,640 ft)), Mount Mihira (1,009.8 metres (3,313 ft)), and Mount Kenashi (1,218.4 metres (3,997 ft)).[3]

Neighboring municipalities

History

The town of Kōfu was formed in 1953 by the merger of Ebi, Kanagawa, and Yonezawa.[2]

Every August 17, there is a festival held in Kōfu called, "Juushichiya" (十七夜).[4] Yatai (food stalls) of various kinds come and set up shop along the main road in Ebi, and people from all over come to participate in this festival. There is a sumo tournament in the early morning among the men who live in the town, and there is even a tournament for the school children as well. The kindergarten students play Japanese drums, taiko, in the evening along with other members of the town.[4] There are fireworks as well in the evening. A 500-year-old traditional dance is also performed through the town and in the town's park; the dance is called "Kodaiji".[4] The dance has been passed down for 500 years since the death of the lord who ruled over the town, and it is done in remembrance of him and to also wish for a plentiful harvest and successful year. The pinnacle of the festival occurs when townspeople light the hill facing the park on fire, spelling out the festival's name (十七夜) on the side of the hill.[4]

Transportation

Rail

Highway

Media related to Kōfu, Tottori at Wikimedia Commons

References
  1. 江府町の人口 [Population of Kōfu] (in Japanese). Kōfu, Tottori Prefecture: Kōfu Town Office. 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  2. "江府（町）" [Kōfu]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  3. "江府町" [Kōfu]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 173191044. dlc 2009238904. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  4. "500 Year Old Dance: Ebi Juushichiya Story". (in Japanese). Kōfu: Tottori Prefecture: Kōfu Town Office. 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2014
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