Kesennuma

[edit] Per Japanese census data, the population of Kesennuma has declined over the past 40 years. Historical populationYearPop.±% 1920 43,824—     1930 55,209+26.0% 1940 63,653+15.3% 1950 76,391+20.0% 1960 84,110+10.1% 1970 87,914+4.5% 1980 92,246+4.9% 1990 88,152−4.4% 2000 82,394−6.5% 2010 73,489−10.8% 2020 61,147−16.8%

[edit] The area of present-day Kesennuma was part of ancient Mutsu Province and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period by the Emishi people, as evidenced by numerous shell middens found in coastal areas. During the later portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested by various samurai clans before the area came under the control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate. The town of Kesennuma was established on June 1, 1889 within Motoyoshi District, Miyagi with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Kesennuma City was formed on June 1, 1953, when the town of Kesennuma annexed the neighboring town of Shishiori and village of Matsuiwa. On April 1, 1955, the city annexed the villages of Niitsuki, Hashikami and Oshima. On March 31, 2006, the town of Karakuwa and on September 1, 2009 the town of Motoyoshi (both from Motoyoshi District) were likewise incorporated into Kesennuma. On March 11, 2011, large parts of the city were destroyed by the tsunami which followed the Tōhoku earthquake. The island of Ōshima and its 3,000 residents, included in the city limits, was isolated by the tsunami which damaged the ferry connections. After the tsunami, spilled fuel from the town's fishing fleet caught fire and burned for four days. As of 22 April 2011, the city had confirmed 837 deaths with 1,196 missing. In August 2013, residents decided to scrap a fishing boat - the Kyotoku Maru No 18 - which was swept inland by a giant wave during the 2011 tsunami. There had been plans to preserve the boat as a monument, as it had become a symbol of the tsunami. In 2014, Kesennuma was designated as Japan's first "slow town".

[edit] Kesennuma has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 24 members. Kessenuma, together with Motoyoshi District contributes three seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, after the abolishment of the Miyagi 6th district in 2022, the city is part of Miyagi 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

[edit] Kesennuma Fishing Port in 2006 Kesennuma relies on tourism and commercial fishing, the latter being what the city is known for, especially its shark, tuna, pacific saury and skipjack tuna production, keeping the fishing port very active. Prior to the 2011 disaster, the city was Japan's busiest port for processing bonito and swordfish. Presently, fishing and associated industries account for 85% of jobs in the town.

[edit] Kesennuma has 14 public elementary schools and eight junior high schools operated by the town government, and four public high schools operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education and one private high school. The prefectural government also operates one special educational school.

[edit] Railway[edit] East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Ōfunato Line Kesennuma Bus[edit] East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Kesennuma Line BRT and Ōfunato Line BRT (BRT system) Kurauchi - Rikuzen-Koizumi - Motoyoshi - Koganezawa - Ōyakaigan - Ōyamachi - Rikuzen-Hashikami - Saichi - Iwatsuki - Matsuiwa - Akaiwaminato/Kesennuma City Hospital Minami-Kesennuma - Fudōnosawa - Kesennuma - Naiwan-Iriguchi (Yōkamachi)- Shishiorikarakuwa - Kami-Shishiori - Hachiman-Ōhashi (Tōryō High School) - Karakuwaōsawa|x Highway[edit] National Route 45 National Route 284 National Route 346

[edit] International[edit] Puntarenas, Costa Rica Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China Changyi District, Jilin, China Japanese sister cities[edit] Ichinoseki, Iwate Meguro, Tokyo

[edit] Isshin Chiba, voice actor Satoru Kanemura, professional baseball player Tetsuo Kanno, politician Shinji Maggy, comedian and magician Itsunori Onodera, politician Rikako Sasaki, idol singer