The town was formed through a merger on October 1 , 2005 , when the towns of Shizugawa and Utatsu , both from Motoyoshi District , merged to form the new town of Minamisanriku .
The town was created on October 1 , 2005 , when the towns of Shizugawa and Utatsu merged to form the new town of Minamisanriku .