Fudai, Iwate
Encyclopedia
is a village
located in Shimohei District
, Iwate Prefecture
, Japan
. It is a mountainous community situated on the Sanriku Coast
along the Pacific Ocean. The southern part of the village, an area called Kurosaki (黒崎), includes a part of the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park
. It features an observation point to view scenic 100 metres (328.1 ft) seaside cliffs.
According to the 2010 Japanese Population Census, the village has a population
of 3,088, down from 3,358 counted in the 2005 census. The total area of the village is 69.66 km², resulting in a population density
of 44.33 persons per km².
In 1953, the national and prefectural governments targeted Fudai for consolidation with its southern neighbor, Tanohata
following the Law for the Consolidation of Cities, Towns and Villages ("the great Shōwa mergers"
). Merger talks continued intermittently between 1955 and 1960. The Tanohata delegation was not in favor of the merger, but because of the pressure from the prefecture to implement the government directive, they felt they were not at liberty to directly reject the proposal. At a party in May 1960 to celebrate the end of the long merger negotiations, the mayor of Tanohata drunkenly insulted the delegates from Fudai in a final effort to scuttle the negotiations. The party was abandoned, and no further serious attempts were made to continue with the merger.
The village was spared from the devastation brought to other coastal communities following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
thanks to a 15.5 metres (50.9 ft) floodgate
that protected the town. The floodgate was built between 1972 and 1984 at a cost of ¥3.56 billion (approximately US$30 million in 2011) under the administration of Kotoku Wamura, the village mayor from 1947 to 1987. Initially derided as a waste of public funds, the floodgate protected the village and the inner cove from the worst of the tsunami
waves. After the 2011 tsunami, the villagers gave thanks at Wamura's grave. The village's only casualty was one missing person who went to inspect his boat in the fishing port, located outside of the wall's protection, immediately after the earthquake.
Villages of Japan
A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
located in Shimohei District
Shimohei District, Iwate
is a district located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.Following the merger of Tarō and Niisato into Miyako and as of 2003 population data, the district has an estimated population of 43,747 and a population density of 21.39 persons per km²...
, Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is a mountainous community situated on the Sanriku Coast
Sanriku Coast
The is a coastal region on the Pacific Ocean, extending from southern Aomori prefecture, through Iwate prefecture and northern Miyagi prefecture in northeastern Honshū, which is Japan's main island...
along the Pacific Ocean. The southern part of the village, an area called Kurosaki (黒崎), includes a part of the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park
Rikuchu Kaigan National Park
is a national park in the Tohoku region of Honshū in northern Japan. The park extends for 180 kilometers from north to south along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean from northern Miyagi prefecture to northern Iwate prefecture...
. It features an observation point to view scenic 100 metres (328.1 ft) seaside cliffs.
According to the 2010 Japanese Population Census, the village has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 3,088, down from 3,358 counted in the 2005 census. The total area of the village is 69.66 km², resulting in a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 44.33 persons per km².
In 1953, the national and prefectural governments targeted Fudai for consolidation with its southern neighbor, Tanohata
Tanohata, Iwate
is a village located in Shimohei District, Iwate, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 4,271 and a population density of 27.34 persons per km². The total area is 156.19 km².-External links:*...
following the Law for the Consolidation of Cities, Towns and Villages ("the great Shōwa mergers"
Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan
Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan can take place within one municipality or between multiple municipalities and are required to be based upon consensus.- Merger policy:...
). Merger talks continued intermittently between 1955 and 1960. The Tanohata delegation was not in favor of the merger, but because of the pressure from the prefecture to implement the government directive, they felt they were not at liberty to directly reject the proposal. At a party in May 1960 to celebrate the end of the long merger negotiations, the mayor of Tanohata drunkenly insulted the delegates from Fudai in a final effort to scuttle the negotiations. The party was abandoned, and no further serious attempts were made to continue with the merger.
The village was spared from the devastation brought to other coastal communities following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
thanks to a 15.5 metres (50.9 ft) floodgate
Floodgate
Floodgates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals, or they may be designed to stop water flow entirely as part of a levee or...
that protected the town. The floodgate was built between 1972 and 1984 at a cost of ¥3.56 billion (approximately US$30 million in 2011) under the administration of Kotoku Wamura, the village mayor from 1947 to 1987. Initially derided as a waste of public funds, the floodgate protected the village and the inner cove from the worst of the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
waves. After the 2011 tsunami, the villagers gave thanks at Wamura's grave. The village's only casualty was one missing person who went to inspect his boat in the fishing port, located outside of the wall's protection, immediately after the earthquake.