Ōfunato, Iwate

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Ōfunato (大船渡市, ōfunato shi^?) is a coastal city located in Iwate, northeast Japan. It was founded on April 1, 1952.

The city became internationally famous when it was hit by a tidal wave in May, 1960. This tidal wave was caused by the earthquake in Chile on 22nd of May, 1960, while the earthquake that caused it was known to be the greatest ever recorded - its magnitude was 9.5. Ōfunato itself is situated not so far away from the undersea volcano, and suffers from frequent earthquakes of various scales.

Ōfunato faces the Pacific Ocean. Outside its bay, the warm and cold currents meet, which allows the fishery to flourish. The people living in this region are known for their longevity due to their diet based on sea products, particularly seaweeds. Water in this area is less polluted as there is not much industrial activities. Iwate prefecture, of which Ōfunato is part, is known as Tibet of Japan due to its lack of industries. However, the city has been trying to establish itself as a harbour city which receives occasional visits by international freight ships.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 44,081 and the density of 136.39 persons per km². The total area is 323.19 km².