| Ōma | |||||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||||
| Settlement Type: | Town | ||||
| Image Map1: | Oma in Aomori Prefecture Ja.svg | ||||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | |||||
| Coordinates: | 41.5268°N 140.9073°W | ||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Tōhoku | ||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Aomori | ||||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||||
| Subdivision Name3: | Shimokita | ||||
| Area Total Km2: | 52.10 | ||||
| Population Total: | 4868 | ||||
| Population As Of: | January 31, 2023 | ||||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||||
| Timezone1: | Japan Standard Time | ||||
| Utc Offset1: | +9 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec1: | Phone number | ||||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0175-37-2111 | ||||
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Address | ||||
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | 104 Ōma, Ōma-machi, Shimokita-gun, Aomori-ken 039-4692 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec2: | Climate | ||||
| Blank Info Sec2: | Cfb | ||||
| Module: |
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is a town located in Aomori, Japan., the town had an estimated population of 4,868 in 2500 households, and a population density of .[1] The total area of the town is 52.1sqkm.[2]
Ōma occupies the northwestern coastline of Shimokita Peninsula, facing the Tsugaru Strait. is the northernmost point on the island of Honshū. Much of the town is within the limits of the Shimokita Hanto Quasi-National Park. In 2002, the Ministry of the Environment classified some tidal flats of the Ōma shoreline as one of the 500 Important Wetlands in Japan particularly for its biodiversity of marine flora, especially several varieties of kelp.[3]
Aomori Prefecture
The town has a climate characterized by cool short summers and long cold winters with strong winds (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Ōma is . The average annual rainfall is with August as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around .
According to Japanese census data,[4] the population of Ōma has declined since 1960.
The area around Ōma was inhabited by the Emishi people until the historical period. During the Edo period, it was controlled by the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain. During the post-Meiji restoration establishment of the modern municipalities system on 1 April 1889, Ōoku Village was proclaimed from the merger of Ōma hamlet with neighboring Okudo hamlet. It was renamed Ōma Town on 3 November 1942.
Ōma has been a popular location setting for movies and television dramas. It was the setting for the 1983 movie starring Ken Ogata. In 2000, Ōma was the setting for an NHK television series starring Tabata Tomoko. This was followed by another fictional series on TV Asahi starring Tetsuya Watari in 2007.
Ōma has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of ten members. Ōma is part of Shimokita District which, together with the city of Mutsu, contributes three members to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aomori 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
The economy of Ōma was traditionally heavily dependent on commercial fishing. The town was famous for having the "black diamond" of tuna, which are caught in the traditional manner by hand in two-person boats, and sold under the "Ōma" registered brand. One Ōma tuna was sold at a record-high 333.6 million yen in January 2019.[5] Other seafood products include sea urchin roe, konbu and squid.[6]
The town is the site of a nuclear power plant, the Ōma Nuclear Power Plant, which will be unique in its use of MOX fuel when it comes on line.[7]
Ōma has two public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education.
The town has no passenger railway service. The nearest station is Ōminato Station on the JR East Ōminato Line in Mutsu City.
