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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 taxi3.1 mi 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
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.
- Kofu official tourism guide: kofu-tourism.com/en
- 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.