Otsuchi, Iwate
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Kamihei District
, Iwate
, Japan
.
As of 2003, the town had an estimated population
of 16,727 and a density
of 83.39 persons per km². The total area is 200.58 km².
Since 1973, the University of Tokyo
has maintained a marine research laboratory in Ōtsuchi. It is now called the International Coastal Research Center and is managed by the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute.
. The tsunami obliterated the harbor and low-lying areas, while higher parts of the town were spared, though they did suffer some damage from the earthquake and the many aftershocks. About half the city was inundated by the tsunami. The tsunami destroyed all but 30 of 650 fishing boats and completely wiped-out the town's sea farm industry.
City firemen manually closed the 12 water gates in the port's tsunami wall, but the wall was unable to hold back the waves. Eight city firemen were dead or missing. As of 31 August 2011, 799 residents of the town were confirmed dead, with 608 others still missing, about 10% of the town's total population of 16,000.
Members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society were on the waterfront doing reconnaissance of porpoise
hunting when the earthquake happened; they fled up hill and were able to walk back to waterfront the following morning to assess damages.
Town mayor Koki Kato was last seen at a safety meeting with city officials on Friday. His body was recovered on Saturday, 19 March.
, California
and in 2001 he contacted then Mayor Lindy Peters and visited with a delegation to open discussions on a sister city agreement. Fort Bragg students visited Ōtsuchi in 2002 and the Sister-City proclamation was solidified in 2005 by subsequent Mayor, Dave Turner. Other student exchanges were held in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and the next exchange was planned for July 2011. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
devastation Mayor Turner ordered that city flags be flown half staff until the end of March to honour the thousands of lives lost.
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
located in Kamihei District
Kamihei District, Iwate
is a district located in Iwate, Japan.Following the Tōno merger the district consists of the single town of Ōtsuchi. As of 2004, the district has an estimated population of 16,521. The total area is 200.58 km²....
, 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...
.
As of 2003, the town 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 16,727 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 83.39 persons per km². The total area is 200.58 km².
Since 1973, the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
has maintained a marine research laboratory in Ōtsuchi. It is now called the International Coastal Research Center and is managed by the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On March 11, 2011, the town was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami2011 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 tsunami obliterated the harbor and low-lying areas, while higher parts of the town were spared, though they did suffer some damage from the earthquake and the many aftershocks. About half the city was inundated by the tsunami. The tsunami destroyed all but 30 of 650 fishing boats and completely wiped-out the town's sea farm industry.
City firemen manually closed the 12 water gates in the port's tsunami wall, but the wall was unable to hold back the waves. Eight city firemen were dead or missing. As of 31 August 2011, 799 residents of the town were confirmed dead, with 608 others still missing, about 10% of the town's total population of 16,000.
Members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society were on the waterfront doing reconnaissance of porpoise
Porpoise
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen...
hunting when the earthquake happened; they fled up hill and were able to walk back to waterfront the following morning to assess damages.
Town mayor Koki Kato was last seen at a safety meeting with city officials on Friday. His body was recovered on Saturday, 19 March.
Sister cities
As a youth Ken Sasaki noted that his home of Ōtsuchi is located on the same latitude as Fort BraggFort Bragg, California
Fort Bragg is a city located in coastal Mendocino County, California along State Route 1, the major north-south highway along the Pacific Coast. Fort Bragg is located west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and in 2001 he contacted then Mayor Lindy Peters and visited with a delegation to open discussions on a sister city agreement. Fort Bragg students visited Ōtsuchi in 2002 and the Sister-City proclamation was solidified in 2005 by subsequent Mayor, Dave Turner. Other student exchanges were held in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and the next exchange was planned for July 2011. 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...
devastation Mayor Turner ordered that city flags be flown half staff until the end of March to honour the thousands of lives lost.