Motoyoshi District, Miyagi

Motoyoshi (本吉郡 Motoyoshi-gun) is a district located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

As of the Karakuwa merger but with 2010 population estimates, the district has an estimated population of 17,296 and a population density of 106 persons per km². The total area is 163.74 km².

Motoyoshi District was devastated by the magnitude 9.0 March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami which occurred off the coast of Japan; an estimated 9,500 people are reported missing from the town of Minamisanriku alone.^[1][2][3][4] Early estimates indicate that this could represent as much as 90% of the total casualties in Japan.

Towns and villages

• Minamisanriku

Mergers

• On April 1, 2005, the town of Tsuyama merged with the eight other towns of the former Tome District to form the city of Tome.
• On October 1, 2005, the town of Shizugawa and the town of Utatsu merged to form the new town of Minamisanriku.
• On March 31, 2006, the town of Karakuwa merged into the city of Kesennuma.
• On September 1, 2009, the town of Motoyoshi merged into the city of Kesennuma.

Planned mergers

References

1. "9,500 still unaccounted in Minamisanriku of Japan's Miyagi Prefecture: Kyodo". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
2. Kyung Lah, CNN (March 3, 2011). "Rescuers scramble to save lives as aftershocks jolt Japan". CNN.com. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
3. 9,500 People Reported Missing in Small Town Following Japan Quake
4. Devastating pictures from the port where 10,000 are missing after it was swept away by the megaquake, peoplestar.co.uk, Retrieved on 2011-03-13.

Coordinates: 38°41′46″N 141°27′07″E / 38.696°N 141.452°E