Miyako, Iwate
| Miyako 宮古市 | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | ||
 | ||
| ||
 | ||
  Miyako | ||
| Coordinates: 39°38′N 141°57′E / 39.633°N 141.950°ECoordinates: 39°38′N 141°57′E / 39.633°N 141.950°E | ||
| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Tōhoku | |
| Prefecture | Iwate Prefecture | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Yoshihiro Kumasaka | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,259.89 km2 (486.45 sq mi) | |
| Population (April 2008) | ||
| • Total | 57,874 | |
| • Density | 46/km2 (120/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | |
| Symbols | ||
| - Tree | Japanese Red Pine | |
| - Flower | Montauk Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum) | |
| - Bird | Black-tailed Gull | |
| - Fish | Salmon | |
| Address |
2-1 Shinkawachō, Miyako-shi, Iwate-ken 027-8501 | |
| Phone number | 0193-62-2111 | |
| Website | www.city.miyako.iwate.jp | |
Miyako (宮古市 Miyako-shi) is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on February 11, 1941.
The city lies along the coast where the Hei River (閉伊川 Heigawa) flows into the Miyako Bay and into 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, Miyako absorbed the town of Tarō, and village of Niisato (both from Shimohei District) to create the new and expanded city of Miyako, more than doubling the old city's size.
As of 2008, the new city has an estimated population of 57,874 and a population density of 83.1 persons per km². The total area is 696.82 km².
On January 1, 2010, Miyaki absorbed the village of Kawai (also from Shimohei District). The total new area is 1259.89 km². [1]
Climate
| Climate data for Miyako, Iwate | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.0 (41) |
5.2 (41.4) |
8.2 (46.8) |
14.2 (57.6) |
18.5 (65.3) |
20.7 (69.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
26.9 (80.4) |
23.4 (74.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
13.6 (56.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −4.7 (23.5) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
3.3 (37.9) |
8.0 (46.4) |
12.5 (54.5) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.0 (66.2) |
14.9 (58.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 62.7 (2.469) |
69.6 (2.74) |
84.4 (3.323) |
93.9 (3.697) |
101.9 (4.012) |
120.2 (4.732) |
134.6 (5.299) |
158.9 (6.256) |
211.0 (8.307) |
147.5 (5.807) |
82.7 (3.256) |
61.0 (2.402) |
1,328.4 (52.3) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 23.9 (9.41) |
36.3 (14.29) |
27.4 (10.79) |
2.4 (0.94) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (0.16) |
9.8 (3.86) |
100.2 (39.45) |
| % humidity | 63.5 | 65.7 | 66.6 | 67.9 | 74.3 | 84.2 | 87.0 | 85.9 | 84.3 | 79.4 | 69.9 | 64.8 | 74.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 172.5 | 166.4 | 196.0 | 203.0 | 205.2 | 168.6 | 159.9 | 177.8 | 141.3 | 162.2 | 158.5 | 160.6 | 2,072 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
2011 tsunami
On March 11, 2011, the city was devastated by a tsunami caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.[2] At least 401 lives were lost.[3] Only about 30–60 boats survived from the town's 960 ship fishing fleet.[4][5] A subsequent field study by the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute revealed that the waters had reached at least 37.9 metres (124 ft) above sea level, almost equalling the 38.2 metres (125 ft) metre record of the 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake tsunami.[6]
Some of the most iconic footage of the 2011 Japanese tsunami, repeatedly broadcast worldwide, was shot in Miyako. It shows a dark black wave cresting and overflowing a floodwall and tossing cars, followed by a fishing ship capsizing as it hit the submerged floodwall and then crushed as it was forced beneath a bridge.[7][8]
References
- ↑ http://www.kokudo.or.jp/new/cities/sub/tohoku/03.htm
- ↑ Kyodo News, "Deaths, people missing set to top 1,600: Edano", The Japan Times, 13 March 2011.
- ↑ NOAA Data
- ↑ Agence France-Presse/Jiji Press, "Fishermen who lost livelihoods determined to return to cruel sea", The Japan Times, 4 April 2011, p. 2.
- ↑ Fukada, Takahiro, "Iwate fisheries continue struggle to recover", The Japan Times, 21 September 2011, p. 3.
- ↑ Iwate saw wave test 38 meters, The Japan Times (Kyodo News), 4 April 2011
- ↑ "東北・関東地震 宮古市の港に到達した津波" (video). 39°38′28″N 141°57′26″E / 39.6412°N 141.9573°E: YouTube. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ↑ "When Tsunami hit Miyako" (photo). Panoramio. 39°38′28.54″N 141°57′26.85″E / 39.6412611°N 141.9574583°E. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miyako, Iwate. |
- Miyako City official website (Japanese)
- BBC video of the tsunami flooding up the mouth of the river at Shinkawacho
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