Hofu travel guide

Hofu, Japan

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Hofu

Introduction

Hōfu is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, with a compact total area of roughly 92 square kilometres. Its population density sits at a moderate level, giving it the feel of a settled regional city rather than a sprawling metropolis.

Before you go

Before you set out for Hofu, look up the local tourist association's multilingual guide site. It is the practical starting point for planning your time in the city, and it is available in more than one language, so you can read it in whichever language you find most comfortable.

Beyond that, the source material for this guide is limited, so check the tourist association's site for the details you need before you travel rather than relying on assumptions.

Getting there

Hōfu sits on the San'yō Main Line, but the San'yō Shinkansen passes through the north of the city without stopping. Your nearest Shinkansen stations are Tokuyama to the east and Shin-Yamaguchi to the west, with Shin-Yamaguchi offering somewhat better service; from either you continue to Hōfu on a local train. Coming from Tokyo, Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima or Hakata, you ride the Shinkansen to one of those stations and change. Local trains also connect Hōfu with Shimonoseki and Iwakuni, and you can reach Hiroshima entirely on San'yō Main Line locals by changing at Iwakuni. As an alternative to the Japan Rail Pass, JR West sells three regional passes serving Hōfu to Temporary Visitors with foreign passports: the Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Pass, the Okayama-Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Pass and the San'yō-San'in Pass, each covering a progressively wider area.

By air, Yamaguchi Ube Airport is about 45 minutes away by car, though it only offers flights to Tokyo Haneda and seasonal services to Seoul Incheon. By public transport, take a bus to Shin-Yamaguchi station and continue by train; alternatively, walk 10 minutes from the airport to Kusae station and take a train from there to Shin-Yamaguchi. The nearest airport with regular international flights is Kitakyūshū, but Fukuoka or Hiroshima Airports may be preferable.

Overnight highway buses run by Bōchō Bus connect Hōfu with Tokyo, and the Karst overnight service links it with Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. From Hiroshima Bus Center, Bōchō Bus runs several buses a day to Hōfu, and from Hakata it runs two buses a day to Hōfu and beyond. Chūgoku JR Bus also runs frequent services from Yamaguchi, which are slightly faster than taking the train via Shin-Yamaguchi but more expensive; Bōchō Bus services to Shin-Yamaguchi and Tokuyama take longer than the train.

Getting around

Hōfu is a compact city on the San'yō Main Line, and most visitors find that trains, local buses and their own two feet cover everything. The built-up area is small enough that you rarely need to plan a complicated journey. The backbone of public transport is the JR West San'yō Main Line, which stops at Hōfu station and at Daidō; this is a conventional local and rapid line, as the city has no subway or tram network. Note that the San'yō Shinkansen passes through the north of the city without stopping, so if you arrive by bullet train you must connect to a local train: Shin-Yamaguchi to the west is the more convenient gateway, with a quick and inexpensive local hop to Hōfu, while Tokuyama to the east is a slightly longer and pricier option. Local trains also run to Shimonoseki in one direction and Iwakuni in the other, and you can reach Hiroshima entirely on local trains by changing at Iwakuni, though it takes considerably longer than the Shinkansen.

Local buses fill the gaps the train line leaves. Chūgoku JR Bus runs roughly once or twice an hour between Yamaguchi and Hōfu, taking about 40 minutes — slightly faster than going by train via Shin-Yamaguchi, though a little more expensive. Bōchō Bus also runs toward Shin-Yamaguchi and Tokuyama, but these take longer than the equivalent train journey, so they are mainly useful if the train times do not suit you. For longer-distance travel, Bōchō Bus operates highway coaches connecting Hōfu with the rest of Japan, including overnight services from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe and daytime services from Hiroshima and Hakata. Taxis are available and are most useful for short trips that do not line up with a bus or train, or for reaching the airport; plan on hailing one on the street, at the station, or by asking your accommodation to call one. Hōfu's central area is small and largely flat, so walking is a realistic option between the station, the city centre and many local attractions, including Hōfu Tenman-gū, the Mōri Museum, the Suō Kokubun-ji historic site and Tamanooya Shrine. For anything beyond the centre, you will want a bus, train or taxi.

Where to stay

Hofu is a small city, and its accommodation is limited, so plan your stay around the wider region rather than expecting a wide choice in town. Many travellers use Hofu as a base for exploring the surrounding area of Yamaguchi Prefecture, and you will find the most convenient options close to the city centre and the rail station.

Food & drink

Hōfu's eating options are not covered here, so plan your meals around what you find on arrival rather than a fixed list. For drinking, the town's main bar is Laughable (ラーフエブル), a short walk from the Tenjin Exit of Hōfu Station. You will know you have found it by the neon yellow shower curtain that serves as its door.

What to see and do

Hōfu's sights are compact and easily reached from the station. Take the bus from Stop 2 to Temmangū for Hōfu Tenman-gū, a Shinto shrine in the Matsuzakichō district. From the same stop, a bus toward Mōri-Hontei-Iriguchi brings you to the Mōri Museum, housed in what was once the residence of the Mōri Clan and holding four of Japan's National Treasures. You can visit the garden on its own or pay for access to the whole site. Beyond these two, the source lists nothing further under things to do, so plan your day around the shrine and the museum and leave the rest of your time for wandering.

When to go

Hōfu has a humid subtropical climate, so the character of your visit depends heavily on the season. Summer is the hottest and wettest stretch of the year, peaking in August for heat and July for rain. Expect humid heat and heavy downpours, and plan your days around the rain rather than fighting it — pack for both. Rain falls year-round, but it is heaviest in summer.

Three days in Hofu

Day one: Arrive in Hōfu, a quiet city in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the main line of Japan's San'yō route, and use it as your base for three days. Coming from Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima or Hakata, the Shinkansen brings you to Tokuyama or Shin-Yamaguchi, and local trains carry you on to Hofu; a Japan Rail Pass or JR West's Yamaguchi Pass can cover the journey, and Yamaguchi Ube Airport links to Tokyo Haneda and Seoul Incheon. Settle in, then spend the afternoon on foot getting your bearings in the city centre.

Day two: Head out along the line toward Tokuyama or Shin-Yamaguchi, or in the other direction to Shimonoseki or Iwakuni, using Hofu as your starting point. The San'yō Main Line and Shinkansen make these connections straightforward, and a rail pass keeps the day flexible. Return to Hōfu in the evening.

Day three: Keep the final day close to Hofu, revisiting anything you passed on day one before your onward train. If you are flying out, allow time to reach Yamaguchi Ube Airport for connections to Tokyo Haneda or Seoul Incheon.

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