Rikuzentakata, Iwate

is a city in Iwate, Japan.

The 2010 census counted 23,302 people living in the city. (2005 showed 24,709). The city was founded on January 1, 1955. Much of the city was heavily damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Geography
The area of the city is 232.29 km² and the population density is 100 people per km².

 Politics and government 
The mayor of the city is Futoshi Toba.

Industry
As of 2011, oyster farming produced ¥40 million in annual sales for the city.Matsuyama, Kanoko, and Stuart Biggs, (Bloomberg L.P.), "Tsunami - insult to injury", Japan Times, 30 April 2011, p. 3.

 Transportation 
There is one railroad line with six stations in Rikuzentakata.
 JR East
 Ōfunato Line: Rikuzen-Yahagi Station, Takekoma Station, Rikuzen-Takata Station, Wakinosawa Station, Otomo Station

 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami effects 
Rikuzentakata was reported to have been "wiped off the map" by the tsunami following the Tōhoku earthquake.Staff Reporter (12 March 2011) "Wiped off the map: The moment apocalyptic tsunami waves drown a sleepy coast town". www.dailymail.co.uk, Retrieved 12 March 2011 According to the police, every building smaller than three stories high has been completely flooded."Honderden doden in Japanse kuststad (Hundreds dead in Japanese coastal town)" (in Dutch) . www.rtlnieuws.nl, Retrieved 12 March 2011 Buildings taller than three stories were partially flooded. At the city hall, water also reached as high as the third floor.Kyodo News, "Deaths, people missing set to top 1,600:  Edano", Japan Times, 13 March 2011.

On 14 March, a BBC report showed a picture of the town. The report described the city as "almost completely flattened." Reporters could not tell how many people had survived.BBC News – World "Japan earthquake: In pictures" Picture 6 of the series The city did have tsunami shelters. The shelters were designed to protect people from a wave 3 to 4 meters tall. However, the tsunami of March 2011 was 13 meters high in the city. The wave covered the areas that were supposed to be safe.http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/28_04.html  NHK News Report says March 11th tsunami confirmed up to 13 meters high, 28 March 2011  Local officials estimate that 20% to 40% of the cities people died. "Rikuzen-Takata effectively no longer exists."Tsunami preparation leads citizens into low-lying death traps.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/tsunami-preparation-leads-citizens-into-low-lying-death-traps/article1943381/ The city had a 6.5 meter high seawall, but it was not enough. More than 80% of 8,000 houses were destroyed by the tsunami.ShelterBox Response Team operational in Iwate Prefecture  News update from charity ShelterBox, 22 March 2011

As of 3 April 2011, 1,000 people from the town were confirmed dead with 1,300 still missing.Ito, Shingo (Agence France-Presse/Jiji Press), "Iwate pine that withstood the wage now symbol of hope", Japan Times, 3 April 2011, p. 3.

Sixty-eight city officials, about one-third of the city's municipal employees, were killed. The town's mayor, Futoshi Toba, was at work at the city hall and survived. His wife was at their seaside home and she died.Agence France-Presse/Jiji Press, "Mayor perseveres amid his loss", Japan Times, 13 April 2011, p. 3.  Toba's two children were at school and survived.

Takata-matsubara
 is part of the coastline, two kilometers long. About seventy thousand pine trees used to grow there. It was selected as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan (Shōwa period) in 1927 and in 1940 it was named a Place of Scenic Beauty. After the 2011 tsunami only one tree was still there. A single, ten-meter tall, two hundred year-old tree is all that is left from the forest. The tree is only five meters from the sea and may be damaged by too much salt. The Association for the Protection of Takata-Matsubara along with the city and prefectural governments are trying to protect the last pine tree.

 References 

 Other websites 

  Rikuzentakata official website
Gala day procession with floats, August 2010 Five videos available in this series
The tsumani sweeping over Rikuzentakata
Al Jazeera report on Rikuzentakata after the waters receded
Rikuzentata as the rescue begins Mark Willacy reports for ABC News
Tsunami Damage, Rikuzentakata (March 2011) Before-and-after thermal satellite images from NASA
The floodgate that didn't work to stop the tsunami BBC report on the failure of the Rikuzentakata floodgates

Category:1955 establishments in Japan
Category:Cities in Iwate Prefecture