is a town located in Kamihei District, Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 11,572 and a population density of 58 persons per km² in 5308 households. The total area of the town is . Since 1973, the University of Tokyo has maintained a marine research laboratory in Ōtsuchi. It is now called the International Coastal Research Center (ICRC) and is managed by the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute. Geography Ōtsuchi is a coastal mountainous community situated on the Sanriku Coast along the Pacific Ocean. The inland portion of the town is within the Kitakami Mountains Neighboring municipalities Iwate Prefecture Miyako Tōno Kamaishi Yamada Climate Ōtsuchi has a humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Ōtsuchi is 11.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1402 mm with September as the wettest month and February as the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.4 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōtsuchi has declined over the past 40 years. History The area of present-day Ōtsuchi was part of ancient Mutsu Province, dominated by the Nambu clan from the Muromachi period. It was part of Morioka Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The town of Ōtsuchi was created within Kamihei District with the Meiji period establishment of the modern municipality system on April 1, 1889. The town expanded by annexation of the neighboring village of Kanazawa on April 1, 1955. 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On March 11, 2011, the town was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami obliterated the harbor and low-lying areas, while higher parts of the town were spared, though they did suffer damage from the earthquake and the many aftershocks. About half the city was inundated by the tsunami. The tsunami destroyed all but 30 of 650 fishing boats and completely wiped out the town's sea farm industry. City firemen manually closed the 12 water gates in the port's tsunami wall, but the wall was unable to hold back the waves. Eight city firemen were dead or missing. As of 31 August 2011, 799 residents of the town were confirmed dead, with 608 others still missing, about 10% of the town's total population of 16,000. The University of