Kōfu

is the capital city of  Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.

It has been recognized as a special city since 2000.Jacobs, A.J.  "Japan's Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy: The Race for Local Power in the 2000s," Urban Studies Research (2011),  Table 3; retrieved 2012-12-18.

History
Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province". During the Sengoku period, it was the stronghold of Takeda Shingen.

 Special places 
 Kai-Zenkō temple
 Maizuru Castle Park
 Takeda Shrine
 Yumura Spa
 Yamanashi Science Museum

People from Kōfu
 Hidetoshi Nakata, football player who last played with Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. He retired following World Cup 2006.
 Naoko Takeuchi, Creator of Sailor Moon and other comics.

Sports
A J-League football team, Ventforet Kofu is based in Kōfu. Their home ground is the Kose Sports Stadium.

Sister cities
  Cheongju, South Korea
  Chengdu, China
  Des Moines, Iowa, USA
  Lodi, California, USA"Consolidation of Local Governments in Japan and Effects on Sister City Relationships ," Consulate General of Japan, San Francisco
  Pau, France, France
  Yamatokoriyama, Nara, Japan

References

Other websites
 Kōfu official website - Japanese
 Yamanashi International Association - English

Category:Cities in Chūbu
Category:Settlements in Yamanashi Prefecture