Watari, Miyagi

Watari
亘理町
Town
Watari Town hall

Flag
Seal

Location of Watari in Miyagi Prefecture
Watari
 
Coordinates: 38°02′16″N 140°51′9.3″E / 38.03778°N 140.852583°E / 38.03778; 140.852583Coordinates: 38°02′16″N 140°51′9.3″E / 38.03778°N 140.852583°E / 38.03778; 140.852583
Country Japan
Region Tōhoku
Prefecture Miyagi
District Watari District
Area
 • Total 73.60 km2 (28.42 sq mi)
Population (August 2017)
 • Total 33,866
 • Density 454/km2 (1,180/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree Pinus thunbergii
- Flower Camellia sasanqua
Phone number 0223-34-0502
Address 7-4 Shimokoji, Watari-chō, Watari-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-2393
Website http://www.town.watari.miyagi.jp/

Watari (亘理町, Watari-chō) is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2017, the town had an estimated population of 33,866, and a population density of 454 persons per km² in 12,201 households.[1] The total area of the town is 73.60 square kilometres (28.42 sq mi).

Geography

Watari is located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, in the southeastern Miyagi Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east. The Abukuma River fows through the town, forming its western border. Watari has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Watari is 12.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1249 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.7 °C.[2]

Neighboring municipalities

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Watari has steadily increased over the past 40 years.

Census Year Population
1970 25,141
1980 27,822
1990 30,301
2000 34,770
2010 34,854

History

The area of present-day Watari was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and the place name of “Watari” appears in the Shoku Nihongi chronicles dated 718 AD. It was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate.

Watari Town was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. It merged with the neighboring town of Arahama and villages of Yoshida and Õkuma on February 1, 1955.

Watari was severely damaged by a tsunami caused by an earthquake on 11 March 2011.[4] Hundreds of people were stranded in a school but were airlifted from the roof by Japanese military helicopters.[5] The tsunami covered 47% of the town’s area and 305 residents were reported killed or missing.

Economy

The economy of Watari is largely based on agriculture (strawberries) and commercial fishing and fish processing.

Education

Watari has six public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

Local attractions

References

  1. ↑ Watari Town official data (in Japanese)
  2. ↑ Watari climate data
  3. ↑ Watari population statistics
  4. ↑ Grossman, Cathy Lynn (15 March 2011). "Japanese look to ancient traditions for strength". USA Today. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Zeitvogel, Karin (19 March 2011). "Japan quake: live report". AFP/Google. Retrieved 19 March 2011.

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