were given a ship by the Tokugawa shogunate to return to Mexico. One of the survivors was Governor General of the Philippines Rodrigo de Vivero, who was subsequently granted an audience with shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1928 a tower was built in Onjuku to commemorate the landing of Rodrigo and friendly relations between Mexico, Spain, and Japan. It has since been designated a Prefectural Historic Monument (), and is surrounded by an extensive garden complex. Current administration The village of Onjuku was created on April 1, 1889, with the early Meiji period establishment of the municipalities system, and was elevated to town status on April 1, 1914. The town expanded through annexation of areas of the neighboring villages of Fuse and Namihana on March 1, 1955. Government Onjuku has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Onjuku, together with the city of Isumi contributes one member to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Chiba 11th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy The economy of Onjuku is dominated by summer tourism and commercial fishing; agriculture plays a relatively small role in the economy compared to nearby municipalities. Commercial coastal and off-shore fishing operations are active, with squid and bonito being the most important catches. Ama, or traditional women divers, gather abalone, turban shell (sazae), and spiny lobster, all important parts of the traditional Japanese diet. The sandy beaches of Onjuku are the representative swimming areas of the Sotobōsō Coast and attract numerous tourists during the summer months. Tourism in the town began in the Meiji period, and development of the tourism industry continues. Numerous guests houses, ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), and hotels have developed in the area. Education Onjuku has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town also has one private elementary school and one private high school. Sports Due to the infrastructure and sandy beach with good surf conditions, the locality holds the yearly national surf carnival of the Japan Lifesaving Association, in which surf lifesavers gather from all clubs over the country. In 2013, the worldwide 2013 International Surf Rescue Challenge is held here. Transportation Railway JR East – Sotobō Line Highway Sister city relations – Acapulco, Mexico, since August 7, 1978. – Tecamachalco, Puebla, Mexico