▁Sh imo he i ▁District , ▁I w ate ▁Pref ect ure ▁in ▁Japan . ▁Today ▁it ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Mi y ako . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁village ▁of ▁Tar ō ▁created ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁within ▁H ig ash ihe i ▁District ▁with ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁municipality ▁system . ▁H ig ash ihe i ▁merged ▁with ▁K ita he i ▁and ▁N aka he i ▁District s ▁to ▁form ▁Sh imo he i ▁District ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁Tar ō ▁was ▁raised ▁to ▁town ▁status ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Tar ō , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Ni is ato ▁( also ▁from ▁Sh imo he i ▁District ), ▁was ▁merged ▁into ▁the ▁expanded ▁city ▁of ▁Mi y ako ▁and ▁no ▁longer ▁exists ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁municipality . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁an ▁estimated ▁population ▁of ▁ 4 , 6 7 9 ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁density ▁of ▁ 4 6 . 3 ▁persons ▁per ▁km 2 . ▁The ▁total ▁area ▁was ▁ 1 0 1 . 0 5   km 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁former ▁town ▁is ▁located ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁pre fect ural ▁capital ▁Mor i oka ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁regional ▁center ▁Mi y ako ▁with ▁which ▁it ▁has ▁now ▁merged