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Ishinomaki

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Template:Japanese city Ishinomaki (石巻市, Ishinomaki-shi) is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

As of January 1, 2010, the city had an estimated population of 164,294 and a population density of 295.83 persons per km². The total area is 555.35 km².

A rice-shipping port founded in the 4th century, Ishinomaki is known for its large fish market, a museum devoted to manga, and a replica of the Statue of Liberty on a small island in the Old Kitakami River.[citation needed]

History

The city was founded on April 1, 1933.

On April 1, 2005, Ishinomaki was merged with six towns, Kahoku, Kanan, Kitakami, Monou and Ogatsu, all from the former Monou District, and Oshika, from Oshika District, to more than quadruple its area and add nearly 60,000 people to its population.

Ogatsu

The town of Ogatsu is regionally famous for its inkstones and has an annual scallop festival in the summer. The city was a base for several ships in Japan's whaling fleet.

The city also hosts a full-size replica of the Japanese warship San Juan Bautista, a ship commissioned in 1613 by Date Masamune, Daimyo of Sendai, to transport an embassy to the Pope in Rome.

Ishinomaki Station area roughly corresponds to Manga Road, along with Ishinomori Manga Museum in town are celebrating Shotaro Ishinomori's manga legacy.

Ishinomaki includes Tashirojima (aka Manga Island), Ajishima, and Kinkasan, three islands off the south coast of Oshika Peninsula.

2011 earthquake, tsunami, and subsidence

Ishinomaki port on 20 March 2011 showing heavy damage to ships and port facilities caused by the 11 March 2011 tsunami

The city was among the most seriously affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[1][2] Several tsunamis, up to about 10 meters high traveled inland up to 3 miles from the coast. The tsunamis destroyed around 80% of the 700 houses in the coastal whaling port of Ayukawa, and the Kadonowaki neighborhood was largely leveled.[3][4] Approximately 46% of the city was inundated by the tsunami.[5]

One elementary school, Okawa Elementary, was completely destroyed, killing 70 of 108 students and nine of 13 teachers and staff. There is still anger among some of the parents of the dead students because the teachers had wasted precious time in debating whether to evacuate to higher ground. And when the decision was finally made, the teachers had decided to get to a higher ground further away from the school which necessitated crossing a nearby river bridge. It here while crossing the bridge that both the teachers and students were swept away by the tsunami. This decision is deemed unreasonable by many of the parents because there is a hill right behind the school to which they could have reached in less than a minute. Indeed, one of the teachers had tried to persuade the other teachers to bring the students to safety uphill soon after the earthquake ; when he was unsuccessful, he evacuated himself but before managing to persuade one of the students to go with him - both survived. One of the teachers who survived the tsunami attack at the bridge later committed suicide.[6][7][8][9][10]

As of 17 June 2011, a total of 3,097 deaths had been confirmed in Ishinomaki due to the tsunami, with 2,770 unaccounted for.[11] Approximately 29,000 city residents lost their homes.[12]

The earthquake shifted the city southeast and downward, lowering it by as much as 1.2 m in some areas and causing it to flood twice daily at high tide. A once sandy beach in the Kadonowaki area has completely disappeared and tides now reach the wall that once separated the beach from the road. Near the Mangakan Island, a walkway with benches is now partially submerged in the river.[13]

Japanese sister cities

Education

Ishinomaki Okawa Elementary School (大川小学校) was one of the schools worst affected by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. When the earthquake occurred, the staff and students evacuated the school, but were hit by the subsequent tsunami. Of the 108 registered students, 77 are missing or presumed to be dead.[14]

Ishinomaki employs several foreigners to teach English in all of its elementary and junior high schools, as well as the 2 municipal high schools. At the time of the Great Disaster, American teacher Taylor Anderson was killed by tsunami. Since her death, her family has been active in supporting the Ishinomaki school district, and has set up programs to further English education.

Transportation

Railway stations

Intercity bus

Daily scheduled intercity buses bound for the following cities, through the Sanriku Expressway, are being served from Ishinomaki Station.

  • Sendai via Aeon Ishinomaki Shopping Center (Mall), by Miyakou Bus Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Miyagi Transportation (Miyagi Kotsu) Co., Ltd.
  • Shinjuku, Tokyo via Shibuya(overnight): via Sendai, operated by Miyagi Transportation (Miyagi Kotsu) Co., Ltd. and Keio Dentetsu Bus Corporation
A replica of the Japanese-built galleon San Juan Bautista

Major roads

See also

Media related to Ishinomaki, Miyagi at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ^ Satellite Photos of Japan Before and After the Quake and Tsunami New York Times, 13 March 2011
  2. ^ Kyodo News, "Death toll may surpass 10,000 in Miyagi", Japan Times, 14 March 2011, p. 1.
  3. ^ Kyodo News, "Miyagi coastal whaling port pulverized, little more than memory", Japan Times, 18 March 2011, p. 3.
  4. ^ Gihooly, Rob, "'Nothing can prepare you to witness this', Japan Times, 20 March 2011, p. 7.
  5. ^ NHK, "Tsunami flooded 100 square kilometers of city land", 29 March 2011.
  6. ^ Gilhooly, Rob, "Time has stopped for parents of dead and missing children", Japan Times, 11 March 2012, p. 3.
  7. ^ Gilhooly, Rob, "Parents unable to let go continue search for missing kids", Japan Times, 13 October 2011, p. 3.
  8. ^ Associated Press, "Loss-staggered school reopens", Japan Times, 19 April 2011, p. 3.
  9. ^ Kyodo News, "Loss-hit Ishinomaki school opens", Japan Times, 22 April 2011, p. 2.
  10. ^ Kyodo News, "School that lost 70% of its pupils mourns", Japan Times, 29 April 2011, p. 1.
  11. ^ Kyodo News, "Ishinomaki can't tally March 11 missing", Japan Times, 17 June 2011, p. 2.
  12. ^ Robson, Seth, "Ishinomaki residents rebuild their lives as they rebuild their town", Stars and Stripes, 30 August 2011.
  13. ^ Alabaster, Jay (May 9, 2011). "Quake shifted Japan; towns now flood at high tide". Contra Costa Times/Associated Press. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  14. ^ Lah, Kyung. "In Japan, parents try to go on: 'My child should come home to me'." CNN. March 23, 2011. Retrieved on March 23, 2011.
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