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Miyako 宮古市 | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Top left: Cape of Dodo and lighthouse, Top right: Miyako Bay from satellite, 2nd row: Mount Hayachine, lower left: Jyodo Beach, lower right: Rock of Sano, Bottom left: Tago Port, Bottom right: Rock of Rosoku (Candle) | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Miyako in Iwate | |
  Miyako Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 39°38′29.1″N 141°57′25.7″E / 39.641417°N 141.957139°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Iwate |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yoshihiro Kumasaka |
| Area | |
| • Total | 696.82 km2 (269.04 sq mi) |
| Population (April 2008) | |
| • Total | 57,874 |
| • Density | 83.1/km2 (215/sq mi) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Japanese Red Pine |
| • Flower | Montauk Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum) |
| • Bird | Black-tailed Gull |
| • Fish | Salmon |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| City hall address | 2-1 Shinkawachō, Miyako-shi, Iwate-ken 027-8501 |
| Website | www |
Miyako (宮古市, Miyako-shi) is a city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on February 11, 1941.
The city is along the coast where the Hei River (閉伊川, Heigawa) flows into the 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, the old Miyako absorbed the town of Tarō and village of Niisato from Shimohei District to form the new city of Miyako, more than doubling the old city's size. As of 2008, the new city had an estimated population of 57,874 and a density of 83.1 persons per km². The total area is 696.82 km².
On January 1, 2010, the city absorbed another Shimohei District village, Kawai.[1]
Climate[change | change source]
| Climate data for Miyako | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) | 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) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 62.7 (2.47) | 69.6 (2.74) | 84.4 (3.32) | 93.9 (3.70) | 101.9 (4.01) | 120.2 (4.73) | 134.6 (5.30) | 158.9 (6.26) | 211.0 (8.31) | 147.5 (5.81) | 82.7 (3.26) | 61.0 (2.40) | 1,328.4 (52.31) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 23.9 (9.4) | 36.3 (14.3) | 27.4 (10.8) | 2.4 (0.9) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.4 (0.2) | 9.8 (3.9) | 100.2 (39.5) |
| Average relative 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[change | change source]
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 study by the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute found that the waters had reached at least 37.9 metres (124 ft) above sea level. This was almost as high the 38.2 metres (125 ft) record of the 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake tsunami.[6]
Some of the most well known scenes of the 2011 Japanese tsunami, broadcast worldwide, were shot in Miyako. It shows a dark black wave cresting and overflowing a floodwall and tossing cars, followed by a fishing boat capsizing as it hit the floodwall and then crushed as it was forced under a bridge.[7][8]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "市町村合併情報 岩手県 ＜国土地理協会＞". Archived from the original on 2005-12-20. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
- ↑ 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). YouTube. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-04-25. 39°38′28″N 141°57′26″E / 39.6412°N 141.9573°E
- ↑ "When Tsunami hit Miyako" (photo). Panoramio. Retrieved 2011-04-25.[permanent dead link] 39°38′28.54″N 141°57′26.85″E / 39.6412611°N 141.9574583°E
Other websites[change | change source]
- Miyako official website (in Japanese)
- BBC video of the tsunami flooding up the mouth of the river at Shinkawacho
| Cities | Hachimantai | Hanamaki | Ichinoseki | Kamaishi | Kitakami | Kuji | Miyako | Morioka (capital) | Ninohe | Ōfunato | Ōshū | Rikuzentakata | Tōno |  |
|---|---|---|
| Districts | ||
See also: Towns and villages by district | ||
