Ōfunato facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ōfunato
大船渡市
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City
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Ōfunato City Hall
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Location of Ōfunato in Iwate Prefecture
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 Ōfunato
Location in Japan
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| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||||||||||||
| Prefecture | Iwate | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 322.51 km2 (124.52 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population
(30 April 2020)
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| • Total | 35,452 | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 109.925/km2 (284.705/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (Japan Standard Time) | ||||||||||||
| Phone number | 0192-27-3111 | ||||||||||||
| Address | 15, Sakarichō Aza Utsunosawa, Ōfunato-shi, Iwate-ken 022-8501 | ||||||||||||
| Climate | Cfa | ||||||||||||
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Ōfunato (大船渡市, Ōfunato-shi) is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 April 2020[update], the city had an estimated population of 35,452, and a population density of 110 persons per km2 in 14,895 households. The total area of the city is 322.51 square kilometres (124.52 sq mi).
Contents
Geography
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. Much of the city is within the borders of the Sanriku Fukkō National Park.
Neighbouring municipalities
Iwate Prefecture
- Kamaishi
- Rikuzentakata
- Sumita
Climate
Ōfunato has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Ōfunato is 11.7 °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 23.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.1 °C.
| Climate data for Ōfunato, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1963−present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.8 (62.2) |
17.7 (63.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
34.7 (94.5) |
33.7 (92.7) |
37.0 (98.6) |
37.0 (98.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
22.8 (73.0) |
21.2 (70.2) |
37.0 (98.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
5.6 (42.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
14.5 (58.1) |
19.1 (66.4) |
22.1 (71.8) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
24.2 (75.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
13.3 (55.9) |
7.4 (45.3) |
16.0 (60.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) |
1.4 (34.5) |
4.4 (39.9) |
9.4 (48.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.2 (73.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
8.6 (47.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.7 (40.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.7 (65.7) |
20.1 (68.2) |
16.5 (61.7) |
10.2 (50.4) |
4.1 (39.4) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.0 (12.2) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
0.2 (32.4) |
3.8 (38.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
10.2 (50.4) |
4.7 (40.5) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 51.3 (2.02) |
41.0 (1.61) |
103.8 (4.09) |
129.1 (5.08) |
153.9 (6.06) |
174.4 (6.87) |
196.4 (7.73) |
182.1 (7.17) |
200.2 (7.88) |
161.3 (6.35) |
88.6 (3.49) |
61.3 (2.41) |
1,546.7 (60.89) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 13 (5.1) |
14 (5.5) |
8 (3.1) |
1 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.4) |
9 (3.5) |
45 (18) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.3 | 5.0 | 7.7 | 8.6 | 9.5 | 10.2 | 12.6 | 10.7 | 11.1 | 8.9 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 103.1 |
| Average snowy days | 4.6 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 14 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 62 | 62 | 62 | 65 | 71 | 79 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 75 | 69 | 65 | 71 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 141.9 | 134.9 | 158.2 | 174.1 | 180.4 | 151.4 | 133.9 | 143.7 | 118.7 | 136.9 | 137.9 | 131.9 | 1,741.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōfunato peaked around the year 1980, and has declined over the past 40 years.
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1920 | 24,175 | — |
| 1930 | 28,608 | +18.3% |
| 1940 | 32,767 | +14.5% |
| 1950 | 41,589 | +26.9% |
| 1960 | 47,363 | +13.9% |
| 1970 | 48,816 | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 50,132 | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 47,219 | −5.8% |
| 2000 | 45,160 | −4.4% |
| 2010 | 40,737 | −9.8% |
| 2020 | 34,728 | −14.8% |
History
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.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Ōfunato hit the headlines again when it was heavily damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The wave was estimated to have reached 23.6 meters in height. Funneled in by the narrow bay, the tsunami continued inland for 3 kilometres. Ofunato's theatre - which had remarkably sustained no damage - was one of the few buildings still standing, and gave shelter to about 250 survivors. Provisional counts listed 3,498 houses out of 15,138 houses in the town destroyed by the tsunami and 305 lives were confirmed lost. At least six of the town's 58 designated evacuation sites were inundated by the tsunami. 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.
Economy
The local economy is largely based on commercial fishing, with cement production and wood processing as secondary industries.
Education
- Kitasato University – Sanriku campus
- Ōfunato has 11 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education. The city also has one private high school.
Transportation
Railway
Sanriku Railway Company – Sanriku Railway Rias Line
- Sakari–Rikuzen-Akasaki–Ryōri–Koishihama–Horei–Sanriku–Yoshihama
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East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Ōfunato Line (services suspended indefinitely and replaced by a BRT)
- Hosoura–Shimofunato–Ōfunato–Sakari
Highway
Sanriku Expressway
National Route 45
National Route 107
National Route 397
Port
- Port of Ōfunato
Local attractions
- Goishi Coast, National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument
- Sangojima, National Place of Scenic Beauty
- Shimofunato Shell Mound, Ōhora Shell Mound, Takonoura Shell Mound, National Historic Sites
International relations
Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain, sister city since 12 August 1992
Noted people from Ōfunato
- Yoshinobu Fujiwara, politician
- Tochinohana Hitoshi, sumo wrestler
- Nanae Sasaki, marathon runner
See also
In Spanish: Ōfunato (Iwate) para niños
