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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Kofu
甲府市
Give Kofu one night as a Yamanashi base: Shosenkyo gorge, Takeda Shrine and wine, then move on. Two nights only if you add fruit picking or a Minobu run.
Kofu is the capital of Yamanashi, sitting in a bowl of mountains with Fuji to the south and the Minami Alps to the west. The centre is small and walkable, but the good parts — Shosenkyo Gorge, the wineries, the fruit farms — sit outside it and need a bus, a bike or a car. Most travellers use it as a base for the prefecture rather than a destination in itself.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 甲府市
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, humid basin), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Houtou noodle soup | ¥1,300–1,800 |
| Soba, all-you-can-eat set | ¥1,500–2,500 |
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Wine tasting at a Koshu estate | ¥500–1,500 |
| Shosenkyo ropeway round trip | about ¥1,200 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥1,800–2,400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita
- Chuo Line via Shinjuku, about 3 h by limited express
- HND · Haneda
- Chuo Line via Shinjuku, about 2 h 30 min by limited express
- KIX · Kansai
- Shinkansen to Tokyo then Chuo Line, or fly to a closer field
Typical fares
- Shinjuku → Kofu, Chuo Line limited express
- about ¥4,000, 1 h 30 min–2 h
- Shinjuku → Kofu, highway bus
- about ¥2,000, 2 h on paper, longer in traffic
- Kofu Station → Shosenkyo, bus
- about 1 h; check the last return
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Kofu is built for cars: shops and sights sit along dual carriageways outside the centre. In town, walk or rent an electric bike (¥500 a day at hotels near the station). For Shosenkyo and the wineries, use the bus from Kofu Station or a taxi; the Minobu Line doubles as a local train with several stops in the city.
See and do
Known for
- Shosenkyo Gorge
- Takeda Shrine
- Koshu wine and grapes
- Houtou noodles
- Basashi (raw horse meat)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shosenkyo Gorge | Bus from Kofu Station, about 1 h, then walk | About 1.5 h |
| Koshu wine country | JR Chuo Line to Katsunuma-budokyo, about 20 min, then walk or taxi between wineries | About 1 h |
| Minobu | JR Minobu Line from Kofu, about 1 h 15 min to Minobu, then bus up to Kuon-ji | About 2 h |
| Fujiyoshida and Fuji Five Lakes | JR Chuo Line to Otsuki, then Fujikyuko Line | About 2 h |
| Hokuto and the Yatsugatake foothills | JR Chuo Line west, about 30–50 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Kofu Station north side
- Hotels, izakayas and the castle park within a 10-minute walk; best for one night with bags.
- Marunouchi and Chuo
- The bar and restaurant grid around Orion Street; 5–10 minutes south of the station.
- Isawa and the wine area
- Onsen and winery country east of the city; needs a car or a train hop, not a walk.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The basin is one of Japan's hottest summer spots: plan indoor or high-altitude afternoons in Jul–Aug.
- Buses to Shosenkyo are infrequent and stop early; check the last return before you set out.
- Many wineries and fruit farms close outside harvest season and on weekdays: call or check ahead.
- Outside the station area, English signage thins out; have addresses written in Japanese.
Kofu is a quiet, low-crime city; the real risks are summer heat in the basin, deer on mountain roads if you drive, and bars with no posted prices — ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kofu yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Shosenkyo Gorge
- Takeda Shrine
- Koshu wine and grapes
- Houtou noodles
- Basashi (raw horse meat)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Kofu, revision 5236987 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236987
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kofu甲府市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Kofu; most countries keep embassies in Tokyo and consulates in Osaka. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Kofu is a small city: keep cash for buses, wineries and rural shops.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kofu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.