Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, Tōhoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Tamura is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Tamura is located in east-central Fukushima Prefecture, in the easternmost portion of the Nakadōri region of then prefecture. The town is located in an hilly region of the Abukuma Mountains.

Neighboring municipalities Fukushima Prefecture • Nihonmatsu • Kōriyama • Iwaki • Miharu • Ono • Kawauchi • Ōkuma • Namie • Katsurao.

History The area of present-day Tamura was part of ancient Mutsu Province. Much of the area was part of Miharu Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the area was organized as part of Tamura District in Iwaki Province. The villages of Miyakoji, Tokiwa, Katasone, Takine, and Ōgoe were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Tokiwa was elevated to town status on July 1, 1898, and the village of Katasone became the town of Funehiki on April 1, 1934. Takine was elevated to town status of April 1, 1940 followed by Ōgoe on February 8, 1942. The city of Tamura was established on March 1, 2005, from the merger of these four towns and one village.

Fukushima Disaster After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster on 11 March 2011, the area containing the former village of Miyakoji was evacuated. On 1 April 2012 residents were allowed to return during daytime hours as decontamination work progressed. The evacuation order was lifted on 1 April 2014. However, doubts remain as to the effectiveness of the radiation decontamination efforts.

Government Tamura has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members. Tamura, together with Tamura District contribute two members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Fukushima 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy The economy of Tamura is primarily agricultural. Rice, beef and dairy cattle, and vegetable production predominates. The area is also known for its bottled mineral water and sake rice wine.

Education As of 2023, Tamura has eight public elementary schools and seven junior high schools operated by the Tamura City Board of Education. There is also one high school operated by the Fukushima Prefecture Board of Education. • Fukushima Prefectural Funehiki High School

Transport: Rail • JR East – Ban'etsu East Line ◦ Kanmata - Sugaya - Ōgoe - Iwaki-Tokiwa - Funehiki - Kanameta

Transport: Road • Ban-etsu Expressway • National Route 288 • National Route 349 • National Route 399;

Local attractions • Abukuma Limestone Caves • Hoshi no Mura ("Village of Stars") Observatory • Okaburaya Shrine • Ohtakadoyayama Transmitter is an LF-time signal transmitter in Miyakoji-machi. It is used for transmitting the time signal JJY on 40 kHz. It uses as transmission antenna a 250 metre tall guyed mast with an umbrella antenna, which is insulated against ground.