Miyako, Iwate
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Iwate
, Japan
.
It was founded on February 11, 1941.
The city lies along the coast where the flows into the Pacific Ocean
. It is connected to Morioka
by an east-west train line and highway and the coastal highway also goes through the town. The city has a port but much of the shipping traffic is taken by larger cities along the coast.
On June 6, 2005, the old Miyako absorbed the town of Tarō
and village of Niisato
from Shimohei District
to form the new city of Miyako, more than doubling the old city's size. As of 2008, the new city had an estimated population
of 57,874 and a density
of 83.1 persons per km². The total area is 696.82 km².
On January 1, 2010, the city absorbed another Shimohei District village, Kawai
.
.
At least 401 lives were lost.
Only about 30-60 boats survived from the town's 960 ship fishing fleet. A subsequent field study by the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute
revealed that the waters had reached at least 37.9 metres above sea level, almost equalling the 38.2 metre record of the 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake
tsunami.
Some of the most iconic footage of the 2011 Japanese tsunami, repeatedly broadcast worldwide, was shot in Miyako. It shows a dark black "waterfall" advancing sideways and tossing cars, later followed by ships tipping over and being crushed against a bridge.
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 February 11, 1941.
The city lies along the coast where the flows into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It is connected to Morioka
Morioka, Iwate
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Japan.As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 300,740 and a population density of 588.11 persons per km². The total area is 489.15 km²....
by an east-west train line and highway and the coastal highway also goes through the town. The city has a port but much of the shipping traffic is taken by larger cities along the coast.
On June 6, 2005, the old Miyako absorbed the town of Tarō
Taro, Iwate
was a town located in Shimohei District, Iwate, Japan.On June 6, 2005 Tarō, along with the village of Niisato, was merged into the expanded city of Miyako and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
and village of Niisato
Niisato, Iwate
Niisato was a village located in Shimohei District, Iwate, Japan.On June 6, 2005 Niisato, along with the town of Tarō, was merged into the expanded city of Miyako and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
from 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...
to form the new city of Miyako, more than doubling the old city's size. As of 2008, the new 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 57,874 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 83.1 persons per km². The total area is 696.82 km².
On January 1, 2010, the city absorbed another Shimohei District village, Kawai
Kawai, Iwate
Kawai was a village located in Shimohei District, Iwate, Japan.As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 3,469 and a density of 6.16 persons per km². The total area was 563.07 km²....
.
2011 tsunami
On March 11, 2011, the city was devastated by a tsunami caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake2011 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...
.
At least 401 lives were lost.
Only about 30-60 boats survived from the town's 960 ship fishing fleet. A subsequent field study by the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute
Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo
Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo is the institute in affiliation with University of Tokyo. It was founded in 1925. Many fellows research on various topics about Seismology and volcanology...
revealed that the waters had reached at least 37.9 metres above sea level, almost equalling the 38.2 metre record of 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...
tsunami.
Some of the most iconic footage of the 2011 Japanese tsunami, repeatedly broadcast worldwide, was shot in Miyako. It shows a dark black "waterfall" advancing sideways and tossing cars, later followed by ships tipping over and being crushed against a bridge.