| Ōfunato | |||||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||||
| Settlement Type: | City | ||||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | |||||
| Coordinates: | 39.068°N 141.7252°W | ||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Tōhoku | ||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Iwate | ||||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||||
| Area Total Km2: | 322.51 | ||||
| Population Total: | 35452 | ||||
| Population As Of: | 30 April 2020 | ||||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||||
| Timezone1: | Japan Standard Time | ||||
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec1: | Phone number | ||||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0192-27-3111 | ||||
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Address | ||||
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | 15, Sakarichō Aza Utsunosawa, Ōfunato-shi, Iwate-ken 022-8501 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec2: | Climate | ||||
| Blank Info Sec2: | Cfa | ||||
| Module: |
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is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 35,452, and a population density of 110 persons per km2 in 14,895 households.[1] The total area of the city is 322.51sqkm.[2]
Ōfunato is located in southeastern Iwate Prefecture, with the Pacific Ocean to the east. Outside its bay, the warm and cold ocean currents meet, which allow a commercial fishing industry to flourish. The city has been attempting to establish itself as a major shipping port. Kaminari-iwa on the city's Goishi coastline has been designated one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan by the Ministry of the Environment.[3] Much of the city is within the borders of the Sanriku Fukkō National Park.
Iwate Prefecture
Ōfunato has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) bordering on a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with warm summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Ōfunato is 8.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1472 mm with September as the wettest month and January as the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.9 °C.[4]
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Ōfunato peaked around the year 1980, and has declined over the past 40 years.
The area of present-day Ōfunato was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period, and numerous shell middens around Ōfunato Bay have been excavated by archaeologists. During the Sengoku period, the area was dominated by various samurai clans before coming under the control of the Date clan during the Edo period, who ruled Sendai Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate.
The village of Ōfunato was created within Kessen District, Iwate on 1 April 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The 1896 Sanriku earthquake caused a 25-meter tsunami which killed 27,000 people in the area. Ōfunato was elevated to town status on 1 April 1932. The 1933 Sanriku earthquake had a magnitude of 8.4 and caused a 28-meter tsunami which killed 1522 people.
The neighboring town of Sakari and the villages of Akasaki, Takkon, Massaki, Ikawa and Hikoroichi merged with Ōfunato on 1 April 1952, forming the city of Ōfunato. The city became internationally famous when it was hit by a tsunami caused by the Valdivia earthquake in Chile 22 May 1960. On 15 November 2001, the town of Sanriku (from Kesen District) was merged into Ōfunato.
Ōfunato hit the headlines again when it was heavily damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[6] The wave was estimated to have reached 23.6 meters in height.[7] Funneled in by the narrow bay, the tsunami continued inland for 3 kilometres.[8] Ofunato's theatre - which had remarkably sustained no damage - was one of the few buildings still standing, and gave shelter to about 250 survivors.[9] [10] Provisional counts listed 3,498 houses out of 15,138 houses in the town destroyed by the tsunami and 305 lives were confirmed lost.[11] [12] At least six of the town's 58 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami.[13] The impact of the earthquake and tsunami on Ōfunato, as well as the rescue efforts in its aftermath, was featured extensively in the British documentary "Japan's Tsunami Caught on Camera" which was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.
Ōfunato has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 25 members. Ōfunato contributes one seat to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
The local economy is largely based on commercial fishing, with cement production and wood processing as secondary industries.
Sanriku Railway Company – Sanriku Railway Rias Line
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Ōfunato Line (services suspended indefinitely and replaced by a BRT)
Spain – Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain[15] – sister city since 12 August 1992