Watari, Miyagi
title: "Watari, Miyagi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["watari,-miyagi", "towns-in-miyagi-prefecture", "populated-coastal-places-in-japan"] topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watari,_Miyagi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Watari |
| native_name | 亘理町 |
| native_name_lang | ja |
| settlement_type | Town |
| image_skyline | Watari Town Office20200430.jpg |
| image_caption | Watari Town hall |
| image_flag | Flag of Watari, Miyagi.svg |
| image_seal | Emblem of Watari, Miyagi.svg |
| image_map | Watari in Miyagi Prefecture Ja.svg |
| map_caption | Location of Watari in Miyagi Prefecture |
| pushpin_map | Japan |
| pushpin_label_position | |
| pushpin_map_caption | |
| coordinates | |
| coor_pinpoint | |
| coordinates_footnotes | tags -- |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Japan |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Tōhoku |
| subdivision_type2 | Prefecture |
| subdivision_name2 | Miyagi |
| subdivision_type3 | District |
| subdivision_name3 | Watari |
| established_title | |
| seat_type | |
| government_footnotes | tags -- |
| leader_title | Mayor |
| leader_name1 | |
| total_type | |
| unit_pref | |
| area_magnitude | |
| area_footnotes | tags -- |
| area_total_km2 | 73.60 |
| elevation_footnotes | tags -- |
| population_footnotes | tags -- |
| population_total | 33,459 |
| population_as_of | May 31, 2020 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_demonym | |
| timezone1 | Japan Standard Time |
| utc_offset1 | +9 |
| area_code_type | |
| blank_name_sec1 | Phone number |
| blank_info_sec1 | 0223-34-0502 |
| blank1_name_sec1 | Address |
| blank1_info_sec1 | 7-4 Shimokoji, Watari-chō, Watari-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-2393 |
| blank_name_sec2 | Climate |
| blank_info_sec2 | Cfa |
| website | |
| module | {{Infobox place symbols |
| tree | Pinus thunbergii |
| flower | Camellia sasanqua |
| :: |
| name = Watari
| native_name = 亘理町
| official_name =
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = Town
| image_skyline = Watari Town Office20200430.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Watari Town hall
| image_flag = Flag of Watari, Miyagi.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Emblem of Watari, Miyagi.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =
| image_map = Watari in Miyagi Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Watari in Miyagi Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates =
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes = tags --
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = Tōhoku
| subdivision_type2 = Prefecture
| subdivision_name2 = Miyagi
| subdivision_type3 = District
| subdivision_name3 = Watari
| established_title =
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| seat_type =
| seat =
| government_footnotes = tags --
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| total_type =
| unit_pref =
| area_magnitude =
| area_footnotes = tags --
| area_total_km2 = 73.60
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes = tags --
| elevation_m =
| population_footnotes = tags --
| population_total = 33,459
| population_as_of = May 31, 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym =
| population_note =
| timezone1 = Japan Standard Time
| utc_offset1 = +9
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code =
| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 0223-34-0502
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 7-4 Shimokoji, Watari-chō, Watari-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-2393
| blank_name_sec2 = Climate
| blank_info_sec2 = Cfa
| website =
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = Pinus thunbergii
| flower = Camellia sasanqua
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
Watari is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 33,459, and a population density of 450 persons per km2 in 12,643 households. The total area of the town is 73.60 sqkm.
Geography
Watari is located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, in the southeastern Miyagi Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east. The Abukuma River flows through the town, forming its western border.
Neighboring municipalities
Miyagi Prefecture
Climate
Watari has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Watari is 12.4 C. The average annual rainfall is 1272.2 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.9 C, and lowest in January, at around 1.8 C. |width=auto |collapsed = Y |single line = Y |metric first = Y |location = Watari (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) |Jan record high C = 17.4 |Feb record high C = 20.2 |Mar record high C = 25.2 |Apr record high C = 30.2 |May record high C = 30.8 |Jun record high C = 32.8 |Jul record high C = 36.1 |Aug record high C = 36.0 |Sep record high C = 34.4 |Oct record high C = 29.5 |Nov record high C = 26.1 |Dec record high C = 20.8 |Jan record low C = -13.0 |Feb record low C = -11.6 |Mar record low C = -6.4 |Apr record low C = -4.9 |May record low C = 2.9 |Jun record low C = 7.9 |Jul record low C = 12.3 |Aug record low C = 12.7 |Sep record low C = 7.7 |Oct record low C = 0.9 |Nov record low C = -3.8 |Dec record low C = -7.3 |Jan high C = 6.1 |Feb high C = 6.7 |Mar high C = 10.1 |Apr high C = 15.3 |May high C = 19.7 |Jun high C = 22.4 |Jul high C = 25.8 |Aug high C = 27.5 |Sep high C = 24.6 |Oct high C = 19.7 |Nov high C = 14.3 |Dec high C = 8.8 |Jan mean C = 1.8 |Feb mean C = 2.2 |Mar mean C = 5.2 |Apr mean C = 10.3 |May mean C = 15.2 |Jun mean C = 18.7 |Jul mean C = 22.4 |Aug mean C = 23.9 |Sep mean C = 20.6 |Oct mean C = 15.2 |Nov mean C = 9.4 |Dec mean C = 4.3 |Jan low C = -2.5 |Feb low C = -2.3 |Mar low C = 0.3 |Apr low C = 5.2 |May low C = 11.0 |Jun low C = 15.6 |Jul low C = 19.7 |Aug low C = 21.0 |Sep low C = 17.2 |Oct low C = 11.1 |Nov low C = 4.6 |Dec low C = -0.1 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 45.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 33.3 |Mar precipitation mm = 71.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 86.6 |May precipitation mm = 104.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 133.1 |Jul precipitation mm = 180.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 154.9 |Sep precipitation mm = 202.6 |Oct precipitation mm = 164.0 |Nov precipitation mm = 58.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 37.3 |year precipitation mm = 1272.2 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 5.3 |Feb precipitation days = 5.1 |Mar precipitation days = 7.7 |Apr precipitation days = 8.1 |May precipitation days = 9.4 |Jun precipitation days = 11.7 |Jul precipitation days = 13.8 |Aug precipitation days = 11.5 |Sep precipitation days = 12.1 |Oct precipitation days = 8.8 |Nov precipitation days = 5.8 |Dec precipitation days = 5.5 |Jan sun = 153.2 |Feb sun = 158.2 |Mar sun = 183.4 |Apr sun = 190.6 |May sun = 190.1 |Jun sun = 146.0 |Jul sun = 132.9 |Aug sun = 155.9 |Sep sun = 131.2 |Oct sun = 144.9 |Nov sun = 145.5 |Dec sun = 146.4 |year sun = 1881.1 |source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web | url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=34&block_no=0257&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 = March 22, 2022}}{{cite web | url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=34&block_no=0257&year=&month=&day=&view=h0 |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | publisher = JMA | access-date = March 22, 2022}}}}
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Watari has remained relatively steady since the turn of the 21st century. | 1920 | 17,791 | 1930 | 20,606 | 1940 | 21,262 | 1950 | 28,939 | 1960 | 27,277 | 1970 | 25,141 | 1980 | 27,822 | 1990 | 30,301 | 2000 | 34,770 | 2010 | 34,854 | 2020 | 33,087 |align = none | footnote =
History
The area of present-day Watari was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and the place name of “Watari” appears in the Shoku Nihongi chronicles dated 718 AD. It was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate.
Watari Town was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. It merged with the neighboring town of Arahama and villages of Yoshida and Õkuma on February 1, 1955.
Watari was severely damaged by a tsunami caused by an earthquake on 11 March 2011. Hundreds of people were stranded in a school but were airlifted from the roof by Japanese military helicopters. The tsunami covered 47% of the town's area and 305 residents were reported killed or missing.
Government
Watari has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 18 members. Watari contributes one seat 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 Watari is largely based on agriculture (strawberries) and commercial fishing and fish processing.
Education
Watari has six public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
Railway
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/JR_logo_(east).svg" caption="22px]] [[East Japan Railway Company]] (JR East) - [[Jōban Line"] ::
Highway
- – Torinoumi Interchange and Parking Area – Watari Interchange
- – Watari Interchange
Local attractions
- Sanjūsangendō Kanga ruins, Heian period National Historic Site
- Watari Jinja (site of Watari Castle)
References
References
- [https://www.town.watari.miyagi.jp/index.cfm/9,3224,68,144,html Watari Town official statistics] {{Webarchive. link. (2022-03-03 {{in lang). ja
- [https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-miyagi.php Watari population statistics]
- Grossman, Cathy Lynn. (15 March 2011). "Japanese look to ancient traditions for strength". USA Today.
- Zeitvogel, Karin. (19 March 2011). "Japan quake: live report". AFP/Google.
- "三十三間堂官衙遺跡". Agency for Cultural Affairs.
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