Ōma, Aomori

Ōma 大間町
Town
Sunrise in Ōma
Flag Seal
Location of Ōma in Aomori
Ōma
Coordinates: 41°31′36.3″N 140°54′26.4″E / 41.526750°N 140.907333°ECoordinates: 41°31′36.3″N 140°54′26.4″E / 41.526750°N 140.907333°E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Aomori
District	Shimokita
Area
• Total	52.10 km^2 (20.12 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
• Total	5,784
• Density	111/km^2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Japanese black pine
- Flower	Rosa rugosa
- Bird	Common gull
Phone number	0175-37-2111
Address	Ōma 104, Ōma-machi, Shimokita-gun, Aomori 039-4692
Website	Official website

Ōma town hall

The most northerly point of Honshū

Ōma (大間町 Ōma-machi) is a town located in Shimokita District of northeastern Aomori in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. As of September 2015, the town had an estimated population of 5,784 and a population density of 111 persons per km². Its total area was 52.06 square kilometres (20.10 sq mi).

Geography

Ōma occupies the northwestern coastline of Shimokita Peninsula, facing the Tsugaru Strait. The town has a cold maritime climate characterized by cool short summers and long cold winters with strong winds. Much of the village is within the limits of the Shimokita Hanto Quasi-National Park. Ōmazaki (大間崎) cape is the northernmost point on Honshū island.

Neighbouring municipalities

• Aomori Prefecture
  • Mutsu
  • Sai
  • Kazamaura

History

The area around Ōma was inhabited by the Emishi people until the historical period. During the Edo period, it was controlled by the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain. During the cadastral reform of 1889, Ōoku Village was proclaimed from the merger of Ōma hamlet with neighboring Okudo hamlet. It was renamed Ōma Town on November 3, 1942. Ōma has been a popular location setting for movies and television dramas. It was the setting for the 1983 movie Gyōei no mure (魚影の群れ) starring Ken Ogata. In 2000, Ōma was the setting for an NHK television series Watashi no Aoi Sora (私の青空) starring Tabata Tomoko. This was followed by another fictional series Maguro (マグロ) on TV Asahi starring Tetsuya Watari in 2007.

Economy

The economy of Ōma was traditionally heavily dependent on commercial fishing. The town was famous for its tuna, which was caught in the traditional manner by hand in two-person boats, and sold under the “Ōma” registered trademark. Other seafood products include sea urchin roe, konbu and squid.^[1] The town is also the site of a nuclear power plant, the Ōma Nuclear Power Plant, which will be unique in its use of MOX fuel when it comes on line.^[2]

Education

Ōma has two elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Transportation

Highway

• Japan National Route 279
• Japan National Route 338

Tourist attractions

• Ōmazaki, northernmost point of Honshū
• Ōmazaki Lighthouse, one of the “50 Lighthouses of Japan”
• Ōma Onsen, hot spring resort
• Akaishi Beach

Sister cities

In Japan

• Hakodate, Hokkaidō

Overseas

• Huwei, Yunlin, Taiwan^[3]

Noted people from Ōma

• Hiroshi Izumi – silver medalist in Judo during 2004 Summer Olympics

References

1. Fackler, Martin (September 19, 2009). "Tuna Town in Japan Sees Falloff of Its Fish". New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
2. Watanabe, Chisaki, and Stuart Biggs, Bloomberg L.P., "Rejecting ¥160 million, nuke holdout left with reactor view", Japan Times, 15 July 2011, p. 3.
3. "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.

External links

Media related to Ōma, Aomori at Wikimedia Commons

• Oma official website (Japanese)
• Oma Chamber of Commerce (Japanese)