Tokyo's ICRC sustained extensive damage during the tsunami with water reaching the laboratories on the third floor. Town mayor Koki Kato was last seen at a safety meeting with city officials on Friday. His body was recovered on Saturday, 19 March 2011. In the aftermath of the tsunami, local resident Itaru Sasaki opened a wind phone, a telephone booth in which visitors could hold one-way conversations with deceased loved ones. Over 30,000 people have visited the wind phone since 2011. Government Ōtsuchi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 14 members. Ōtsuchi, and the city of Kamaishi collectively contribute two seats to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy The local economy is based on commercial fishing and to a lesser extent on agriculture. Education Ōtsuchi has one public elementary school and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education. Transportation Railway Sanriku Railway – Rias Line – – Highway International relations – Fort Bragg, California As a youth Ken Sasaki noted that his home of Ōtsuchi is located on the same latitude as Fort Bragg, California and in 2001 he contacted then Mayor Lindy Peters and visited with a delegation to open discussions on a sister city agreement. Fort Bragg students visited Ōtsuchi in 2002 and the sister-city proclamation was solidified in 2005 by subsequent Mayor, Dave Turner. Other student exchanges were held in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and the next exchange was planned for July 2011. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami devastation Mayor Turner ordered that city flags be flown half staff until the end of March to honour the thousands of lives lost. References External links Towns in Iwate Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan