. ▁The ▁area ▁has ▁a ▁rug ged ▁coast line ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁San ri ku ▁r ia ▁coast . ▁The ▁main ▁local ▁industry ▁is ▁commercial ▁fish ing . ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁had ▁been ▁destroyed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁times ▁due ▁to ▁t sun ami ▁inc id ences ▁all ▁through ▁its ▁history . ▁An ▁early ▁recorded ▁one ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 1 , ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁when ▁ 1 , 8 5 9 ▁death s ▁were ▁recorded , ▁and ▁another ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁when ▁ 9 1 1 ▁people ▁died . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁its ▁history ▁of ▁repeated ▁destruction ▁by ▁t sum an is , ▁two ▁layers ▁of ▁se aw alls ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁an ▁X - sh aped ▁structure ▁were ▁constructed . ▁ ▁The ▁se aw alls ▁had ▁two ▁joined ▁sections ▁forming ▁sea ward ▁and ▁land ward ▁le ve es , ▁and ▁ran ▁to ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ ▁long . ▁It ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁Ban ri ▁no ▁Cho jo , ▁ ▁Japanese ▁for ▁" Gre at ▁Wall ▁of ▁China ". ▁ ▁The ▁ ▁high ▁se aw alls ▁were ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁after ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁of ▁work ▁to ▁protect ▁Tar ō . ▁ ▁The ▁se aw alls , ▁which ▁could ▁theoret ically ▁stop ▁breaking ▁waves ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁high , ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁di vert ▁t sun am is ▁to ▁the ▁sides ▁around ▁the ▁town ▁using ▁channels ▁and ▁river ▁dy kes