Yamamoto, Miyagi


Yamamoto is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan., the town had an estimated population of 12,100, and a population density of 190 persons per km² in 4794 households. The total area of the town is.

Geography

Yamamoto is located in south-east Miyagi Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, and Fukushima Prefecture to the south.

Neighboring municipalities

Miyagi Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
Yamamoto has a humid climate characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Yamamoto is 12.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1252 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.7 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yamamoto peaked at around the year 2000, and has dropped rapidly since.

History

The area of present-day Yamamoto was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The village of Yamamoto was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on February 1, 1951 by merging with the neighboring village of Sakamoto.
Yamamoto was devastated by the 8.9 – 9.0 MW 2011 Tōhoku earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on 11 March 2011 and resultant tsunami. Eyewitness accounts describe Yamamoto as "one of the worst-hit areas" with no houses left undamaged.

Government

Yamamoto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 13 members. Yamamoto and the town of Watari together contribute two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Miyagi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Yamamoto is largely based on agriculture and commercial fishing.

Education

Yamamoto has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government. The town does not have a public high school; however, there is a special education school for the handicapped operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

- Jōban Line