Ōarai, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kantō Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Ōarai is a town located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 34%. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency operates a research centre in Ōarai with a number of nuclear research reactors, including the Jōyō and High-temperature engineering test reactor facilities.

Geography Located on the coast of central Ibaraki Prefecture, Ōarai is located in the flatlands near the Pacific Ocean, and borders Lake Hinuma, the 30th largest body of freshwater in Japan. The Naka River flows through the town. Ōarai and Sun Beach bathing beaches were first to introduce barrier-free bathing beaches for the disabled in Japan.

Surrounding municipalities Ibaraki Prefecture • Mito • Hitachinaka • Hokota • Ibaraki.

History The villages of Isohama and Ōnuki within Higashiibaraki District and the village of Natsumi within Kashima District were created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Ōnuki was elevated to town status on January 26, 1894. Ōnuki and Isohama merged on November 3, 1954 to create the town of Ōarai. A portion of Natsumi was annexed by Ōarai on July 23, 1955.

In 1928, Nisshō Inoue, the founder of the far-right militant organization Ketsumeidan (血盟団, League of Blood), relocated to Ōarai, where he established Risshō Gokokudō (立正護国堂, Righteous National Defense Temple), which served as a youth training centre advocating a militarist revolution in Japan, eventually resulting in the 1932 League of Blood Incident.

Since 1998 the chief of a factory association in Oarai has invited Japanese descendants and migrants from North Sulawesi, Indonesia, to work for seafood industries. A majority of the Indonesians inhabitants was later arrested for being undocumented.

Government Ōarai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Ōarai, together with neighboring Hokota and Ibaraki, contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy The nuclear industry and government largess form the basis of the local economy. Main agricultural products include rice, sweet potatoes and Japanese radish. The commercial fishing industry is important, and main fishery products include whitebait, sardines, flounder and clams. Marine food processing includes salted and dried horse mackerel, smelt and sardines and boiled octopus.

Education • Ōarai has two public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.

Transport: Rail – Kashima Rinkai Railway Ōarai Kashima Line • Ōarai Station

Transport: Road • National Route 51

Seaport • Port of Ōarai (A MOL Ferry operates two ferries to Tomakomai, Hokkaidō daily)

Local attractions Ōarai attracts 3 million visitors a year. Tourist attractions include bathing beaches, yacht and cruiser marina, marine sports, camping site, fishing, aquarium, and a famous golf course. It is known for its monkfish. • Ōarai Beach • Aqua World (formerly Ōarai Aquarium) • Ōarai Marine Tower • Ōarai Sea Museum • Ōarai Museum of Art • Ōarai Museum of Bakumatsu-Meiji History • "Kurumazuka-kofun" and "Kagamizuka-kofun" • Ōarai Isozaki Jinja.