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. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-03/12/c_13775336.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-14. 
2. ^ Kyung Lah, CNN (March 3, 2011). "Rescuers scramble to save lives as aftershocks jolt Japan". CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.quake/. 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.