Ofunato, Iwate
Encyclopedia
is a coastal city
located in Iwate
, Japan
.
It was founded on April 1, 1952.
On November 15, 2001, the town of Sanriku, from Kesen District
, was merged into Ōfunato.
In 2008, the city had an estimated population
of 41,757 and a density
of 129 persons per km². The total area is 323.28 km².
Ōfunato faces the Pacific Ocean. Outside its bay, the warm and cold ocean currents meet, which allow a fishing industry to flourish. The city has been trying to establish itself as a major shipping port and receives regular visits by international freight ships. Kaminari-iwa on the city's Goishi coastline has been designated one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan
.
The 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake
caused a 25 metre tsunami which killed 27,000 people in Sanriku.
The 1933 Sanriku earthquake
had a magnitude of 8.4 and caused a 28 metre tsunami which killed 1522 people.
The city became internationally famous when it was hit by a tsunami caused by the Valdivia earthquake in Chile on 22 May 1960.
Ōfunato hit the headlines yet again when it was heavily damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
. The wave is estimated to have reached 23.6 meters in height. Funnelled in by the narrow bay, the tsunami continued inland for 3 kilometres. The town's theatre was one of very few buildings left standing (and remarkably, was undamaged) and gave shelter to about 250 survivors. Provisional counts listed 3,498 houses out of 15,138 houses in the town destroyed by the tsunami and 305 lives were confirmed lost. At least six of the town's 58 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Iwate
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 was founded on April 1, 1952.
On November 15, 2001, the town of Sanriku, from Kesen District
Kesen District, Iwate
is a district located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Kesen consists of the cities of Ōfunato and Rikuzentakata and the town of Sumita. The area of Sanriku, home to Kitasato University of Fishery Sciences, was an independent town within Kesen until 2001, when it amalgamated with Ofunato.Ofunato is a...
, was merged into Ōfunato.
In 2008, the city had an estimated 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 41,757 and a 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 129 persons per km². The total area is 323.28 km².
Ōfunato faces the Pacific Ocean. Outside its bay, the warm and cold ocean currents meet, which allow a fishing industry to flourish. The city has been trying to establish itself as a major shipping port and receives regular visits by international freight ships. Kaminari-iwa on the city's Goishi coastline has been designated one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan
100 Soundscapes of Japan
In 1996, as part of its efforts to combat noise pollution and to protect and promote the environment, the Ministry of the Environment designated the . 738 submissions were received from all over the country and the 100 'best' were selected after examination by the Japan Soundscape Study Group...
.
A history of tsunami disasters
Ōfunato is situated fairly close to an undersea volcano, and suffers from frequent earthquakes of various scales.The 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake
1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake
The 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake was highly destructive, generating one of the most devastating tsunamis in Japanese history, destroying about 9,000 homes and causing at least 22,000 deaths. This magnitude 7.2 event occurred at 19:32 on June 15, 1896...
caused a 25 metre tsunami which killed 27,000 people in Sanriku.
The 1933 Sanriku earthquake
1933 Sanriku earthquake
The was a major earthquake whose associated tsunami caused widespread damage to towns on the Sanriku coast of the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan on March 2, 1933.-History:The epicenter of the 1933 Sanriku earthquake was located offshore,...
had a magnitude of 8.4 and caused a 28 metre tsunami which killed 1522 people.
The city became internationally famous when it was hit by a tsunami caused by the Valdivia earthquake in Chile on 22 May 1960.
Ōfunato hit the headlines yet again when it was heavily damaged in 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...
. The wave is estimated to have reached 23.6 meters in height. Funnelled in by the narrow bay, the tsunami continued inland for 3 kilometres. The town's theatre was one of very few buildings left standing (and remarkably, was undamaged) and gave shelter to about 250 survivors. Provisional counts listed 3,498 houses out of 15,138 houses in the town destroyed by the tsunami and 305 lives were confirmed lost. At least six of the town's 58 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami.
External links
Ōfunato official website- Ofunato in ruins Channel 4 news report, 15 March 2011
- Searching for the lost in Ofunato BBC report by Damian Grammaticas, 23 March 2011