Yamada, Iwate

Yamada is located on the ria coastline of central Iwate Prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean on the northern part of Funakoshi Bay and Yamada Bay. The Sekiguchi River and Ogasa River empty into Yamada Bay, and Yamada Port is located slightly south of the mouth of the Sekiguchi River, with train stations, government offices, hospitals, etc. concentrated in this vicinity. Parts of the town are within the borders of the Sanriku Fukkō National Park.

Iwate Prefecture

• Miyako
• Ōtsuchi

Yamada has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Yamada is 9.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1415 mm with September as the wettest month and February as the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.8 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/location/49285/ Yamada climate data]

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Yamada, Iwate (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)

|Jan record high C = 16.4

|Feb record high C = 20.7

|Mar record high C = 23.9

|Apr record high C = 32.7

|May record high C = 32.2

|Jun record high C = 34.7

|Jul record high C = 37.5

|Aug record high C = 37.2

|Sep record high C = 34.1

|Oct record high C = 29.9

|Nov record high C = 22.9

|Dec record high C = 24.6

|Jan high C = 5.9

|Feb high C = 6.3

|Mar high C = 9.5

|Apr high C = 14.8

|May high C = 19.0

|Jun high C = 21.6

|Jul high C = 25.0

|Aug high C = 26.8

|Sep high C = 24.0

|Oct high C = 19.4

|Nov high C = 14.3

|Dec high C = 8.6

|Jan mean C = 0.5

|Feb mean C = 0.8

|Mar mean C = 3.7

|Apr mean C = 8.7

|May mean C = 13.4

|Jun mean C = 16.9

|Jul mean C = 20.8

|Aug mean C = 22.4

|Sep mean C = 19.3

|Oct mean C = 13.7

|Nov mean C = 8.0

|Dec mean C = 2.9

|Jan low C = -4.1

|Feb low C = -4.2

|Mar low C = -1.6

|Apr low C = 2.8

|May low C = 8.2

|Jun low C = 13.0

|Jul low C = 17.6

|Aug low C = 19.0

|Sep low C = 15.3

|Oct low C = 8.7

|Nov low C = 2.4

|Dec low C = -1.9

|Jan record low C = -14.8

|Feb record low C = -16.7

|Mar record low C = -11.4

|Apr record low C = -6.2

|May record low C = -1.7

|Jun record low C = 1.7

|Jul record low C = 8.1

|Aug record low C = 8.9

|Sep record low C = 4.3

|Oct record low C = -2.5

|Nov record low C = -6.3

|Dec record low C = -13.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 64.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 54.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 102.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 109.5

|May precipitation mm = 133.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 150.3

|Jul precipitation mm = 174.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 182.7

|Sep precipitation mm = 221.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 182.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 75.2

|Dec precipitation mm = 69.9

|year precipitation mm = 1527.1

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 4.8

|Feb precipitation days = 5.6

|Mar precipitation days = 8.2

|Apr precipitation days = 8.6

|May precipitation days = 9.6

|Jun precipitation days = 10.5

|Jul precipitation days = 12.6

|Aug precipitation days = 11.3

|Sep precipitation days = 12.2

|Oct precipitation days = 9.1

|Nov precipitation days = 6.6

|Dec precipitation days = 5.3

|Jan sun = 174.3

|Feb sun = 162.2

|Mar sun = 187.2

|Apr sun = 199.7

|May sun = 206.5

|Jun sun = 172.5

|Jul sun = 153.6

|Aug sun = 170.6

|Sep sun = 139.6

|Oct sun = 152.0

|Nov sun = 157.6

|Dec sun = 156.9

|year sun = 2030.4

|source 1 = JMA{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=33&block_no=1033&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = February 25, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=33&block_no=1033&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = February 25, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/Japan-Iwate.html Yamada population statistics] the population of Yamada has declined over the past 60 years.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 13,714

| 1930 | 16,224

| 1940 | 18,166

| 1950 | 23,679

| 1960 | 24,966

| 1970 | 24,193

| 1980 | 25,321

| 1990 | 22,925

| 2000 | 21,214

| 2010 | 18,625

| 2020 | 14,320

|align = none

|footnote =

}}

The area of present-day Yamada was part of ancient Mutsu Province, with many Jomon period and Kofun period remains. In the Heian period it was dominated by the Abe clan and the Northern Fujiwara. It was dominated by the Nanbu clan from the Kamakura period. It was part of Morioka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. Yamada was the location of the 1643 Breskens Incident, where the Dutch ship Breskens, part of the De Vries expedition, made two unauthorised visits to Yamada and was captured by Japanese authorities.

With the Meiji period establishment of the modern municipalities system, the town of Yamada was created within Higashihei District on April 1, 1889. Higashihei District was merged into Minamihei District on March 29, 1896. On March 1, 1955, Yamada annexed the neighboring villages of Funakoshi, Orikada, Osawa and Toyomane to reach is present borders.

After the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, it was reported that the town had been almost completely submerged by the ensuing tsunami.[http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/death-toll-from-powerful-japan-quake-likely-to-top-1000 Quake death toll feared to top 1800, thousands more unaccounted for] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20110313003516/http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/death-toll-from-powerful-japan-quake-likely-to-top-1000 |date=2011-03-13 }}, Japan Today article, 13 March 2011Fukada, Takahiro, "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110915f1.html Iwate survivors wonder, worry about future]", Japan Times, 15 September 2011, p. 3.

Yamada has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Yamada, together with the city of Miyako, town of Iwaizumi and the villages of Fudai and Tanohata, collectively contributes three seats to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The local economy is strongly based on commercial fishing, including aquaculture using the ria coast, as well as tourism. Small and medium sized factories operate mainly in mountainous areas. In the early 20th century, it was a noted whaling port.

Yamada has nine public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education.

A Whales and Science of the Sea Museum operates in Yamada.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-05 |title=鯨と海の科学館 |url=https://yamada-kujirakan.jp/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=鯨と海の科学館 |language=ja}} It was established in 1992 in response to preserve the history of commercial whaling following Japan's withdrawal from the practice. The museum contains one of the world's largest sperm whale skeleton specimens,津波乗り越えたクジラの標本「復興の象徴」 岩手・山田 asahi.com（ウェブサイト）朝日新聞社 2011年4月11日 as well as various other whale skeleton specimens and other exhibits on marine life and the ocean.

Sanriku Railway – Rias Line

• {{STN|Toyomane|x}} - {{STN|Rikuchū-Yamada|x}} - {{STN|Orikasa|x}} - {{STN|Iwate-Funakoshi|x}}

• {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E45|dab1=S}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|45}}

• {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Zeist, the Netherlands, friendship city since May 13, 2000{{cite web|url=http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=03&n=Iwate%20Prefecture|title=International Exchange|work=List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures|publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)|language=en|access-date=21 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103408/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=03&n=Iwate%20Prefecture|archive-date=22 December 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

• Zenkō Suzuki, former Prime Minister

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.town.yamada.iwate.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Iwate}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Towns in Iwate Prefecture

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan