| Onagawa 女川町 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Town — | |||
|
|||
| Location of Onagawa in Miyagi | |||
|
Onagawa
|
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||
| Prefecture | Miyagi | ||
| District | Oshika | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 65.78 km2 (25.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2003) | |||
| • Total | 11,186 | ||
| • Density | 170.1/km2 (440.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| Website | Town of Onagawa | ||
Onagawa (女川町 Onagawa-chō) 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.[1] 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.
Contents |
The town was heavily damaged in the 11 March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. 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.[2][3] 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.[4]
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.[5]
The town has a ferry service to the sacred island of Kinkasan.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Onagawa,_Miyagi Onagawa, Miyagi] at Wikimedia Commons