Onagawa, Miyagi
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Oshika District, Miyagi
, Japan
. The town was formed in 1926. The town takes pride in the fact that it still has beaches with "squeaking sand
", which has apparently become rare in Japan due to human induced environmental changes. Onagawa is a port town, and right at the intersection of two major ocean currents. It is also the location of a nuclear power plant, the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant
.
As of 2003, the town has an estimated population
of 11,186 and a population density
of 170.05 persons per km². The total area is 65.78 km².
.
The tsunami reached 15 metres in height and swept one kilometre inland, destroying the town centre and leaving over 1000 people missing, with over 300 confirmed dead. At least 12 of the town's 25 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami. The city had previously been hit and partially destroyed by the tsunami caused by 1960 Valdivia earthquake.
In an incident widely reported in the Chinese media, Mitsuru Sato, managing director of Sato Suisan, a fish processing company in the town, gave his life ensuring that all the firm's workers, including 20 female Chinese resident trainees, had evacuated safely to higher ground.
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 Oshika District, Miyagi
Oshika District, Miyagi
is a district located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 16,069 and a population density of 115.80 persons per km²...
, 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...
. The town was formed in 1926. The town takes pride in the fact that it still has beaches with "squeaking sand
Singing sand
Singing sand, whistling sand or barking sand is sand that produces sound. The sound emission may be caused by wind passing over dunes or by walking on the sand.Certain conditions have to come together to create singing sand:...
", which has apparently become rare in Japan due to human induced environmental changes. Onagawa is a port town, and right at the intersection of two major ocean currents. It is also the location of a nuclear power plant, the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant
Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant
The is a nuclear power plant located on a 1,730,000 m2 site in Onagawa in the Oshika District and Ishinomaki city, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is managed by the Tohoku Electric Power Company...
.
As of 2003, the town has 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 11,186 and a population 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 170.05 persons per km². The total area is 65.78 km².
2011 earthquake and tsunami
The town was heavily damaged in the 11 March 2011 Tōhoku 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 reached 15 metres in height and swept one kilometre inland, destroying the town centre and leaving over 1000 people missing, with over 300 confirmed dead. At least 12 of the town's 25 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami. The city had previously been hit and partially destroyed by the tsunami caused by 1960 Valdivia earthquake.
In an incident widely reported in the Chinese media, Mitsuru Sato, managing director of Sato Suisan, a fish processing company in the town, gave his life ensuring that all the firm's workers, including 20 female Chinese resident trainees, had evacuated safely to higher ground.
Train stations
- Ishinomaki LineIshinomaki LineThe is a rail line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company system, it runs from Kogota Station in Misato to Onagawa Station in Onagawa, acting as a spur line from the Tōhoku Main Line to the central coast of Miyagi Prefecture...
: UrashukuUrashuku Stationis a JR East railway station located in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.-Adjacent stations:...
- OnagawaOnagawa Stationis a JR East railway station located in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.-Lines:The station is served by the Ishinomaki Line. The operation of the line and the station has been suspended since the tsunami on March 11, 2011 that destructed the railway track and the facilities of Onagawa...