is the easternmost of the three regions of
Fukushima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, the other two being
Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and
Aizu
is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princ ...
in the west. Hamadōri is bordered by the
Abukuma Highlands to the west and the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
to the east.
The principal city of the area is
Iwaki.
Overview
In
ancient Japan
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Japanese Paleolithic, Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the fi ...
, the area currently known as Hamadōri served as a connecting route on the so-called route from
Kinai
is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. ''Kinai'' is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kinai''" in . The five provinces were called ''go-kin ...
in the central area of the country to
Mutsu Province in northeastern Japan. The region that the road traversed also came to be known as Kaidō.
Following the implementation of the
Ritsuryō
is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...
system, the route's name was changed to . Despite the newly named Tōkaidō route extending up to
Taga Castle
was a ''jōsaku''-style Japanese castle built in the late Nara period in what is now part of the city of Tagajō in Miyagi prefecture in the Tōhoku region of far northern Honshu, Japan. Bashō tells of his visit to the site in ''Oku no Hosomi ...
in present-day
Miyagi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
, the region known as
Tōkaidō extended only as far as the northernmost border of
Hitachi Province
was an old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa Province, S ...
, and the area of Hamadōri was considered a part of the
Tōsandō
is a Japanese geographical term. It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it. It is part of the ''Gokishichidō'' system. It was situated along the central mountains of northern Honshu, specifically th ...
region.
Following the conclusion of the
Boshin War
The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a coalition seeking to seize political power in the name of the Impe ...
, the eastern section of present-day Fukushima Prefecture split off from
Mutsu Province and formed
Iwaki Province, the area of which included the
Shirakawa District and the southern portion of modern-day
Miyagi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
, which the
Shirakawa clan and
Date clan
The is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Date", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 5 retrieved 2013-5-5.
History
The Date fam ...
, respectively, conquered during the
Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
.
The Kaidō/Tōkaidō route has been used continuously since the times of ancient Japan and into the modern age, with
National Route 6, the
Jōban Expressway, and the
Jōban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following ...
all beginning in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
and running north along the route.
Compared to the cities of the
Sōma Domain in the northern area of present-day Hamadōri,
Taira
The was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period of Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto, the Fujiwara, and the Tachibana. The clan is divided into four major groups, named ...
, in the south, was more developed due to it having had a longer history of being a political center, its close proximity to Tokyo, and its higher population and levels of commerce. Due to these reasons, Hamadōri is also sometimes subdivided into to refer to the city of Iwaki in the south and to refer to the cities in
Futaba District and the former Sōma Domain the north.
Geography and climate

Hamadōri, which can be literally translated to “coastal path”, makes up the eastern third of Fukushima Prefecture and comprises the entirety of the prefecture's Pacific Ocean coastal region.
The eastern section of Hamadōri is largely coastal plains sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Abukuma Highlands to the west. Hamadōri extends to the west until the Abukuma Highlands'
ridge
A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
, which forms the border with
Nakadōri.
Hamadōri belongs to
Japan's Pacific Climate Zone, and seasonal winds from the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
are largely blocked by the
Ōu Mountains
The are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. It is the longest range in Japan and stretches south from the Natsudomari Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to the Nasu volcanoes at the northern boundary of the Kantō region. T ...
and the Abukuma Highlands, leading to mild winters with little snowfall.
Rivers
*
Asami River
*
Natsui River
*
Same River
*
Uda River
*
Ukedo River
Lakes
*
Lake Kashiko
*
Matsukawa Lagoon
Highlands
*
Abukuma Highlands
Hot springs
*
Iwaki Yumoto Onsen
History
Ancient Japan
It is said that in
ancient Japan
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Japanese Paleolithic, Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the fi ...
, present-day Hamadōri was in the possession of the . Shortly following the organization of a national government through the
Ritsuryō
is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...
system,
Iwaki Province was founded in 718 then approximately a decade later was absorbed into
Mutsu Province.
Heian period to the Meiji Restoration
Near the end of the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
, the
Iwaki clan, having connections to
Hiraizumi, built a base in Iinodaira, which is now a part of the present-day city of Iwaki. There they built the
Shiramizu Amidadō temple and held power over the southern section of Hamadōri.
Entering into the
Kamakura period
The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...
, the
Sōma clan
The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan that ruled the northern Hamadōri region of southern Mutsu Province in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan for over 700 years, from the Kamakura period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The S ...
moved from
Nagareyama
Nagareyama City Hall
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 211,620 in 89,751 households and a population density of 6,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Nagareyama is ...
in present-day
Chiba Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...
to the northern area of Hamadōri and gained control over the former
Iwaki Province's districts of
Uda,
Namekata, and
Shineha.
During the
Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
, Hamadōri served as a buffer zone between the
Satake clan
The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. Its first power base was in Hitachi Province. The clan was subdued by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the late 12th century, but later entered Yoritomo's serv ...
, based in modern-day
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
, and the
Date clan
The is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Date", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 5 retrieved 2013-5-5.
History
The Date fam ...
, which had control over present-day
Miyagi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
, north-central
Fukushima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...
, and southern
Yamagata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 Square kilometre, km2 (3,600 Square mile, sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefectu ...
.
In the
Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...
the Iwaki clan fought for the western side, however after the western army was defeated the Iwaki clan was exiled and fled to
Yurihonjō, Akita. Following the exile of the Iwaki clan, southern Hamadōri became the
Iwakidaira Domain. Control of the Iwakidaira Domain subsequently repeatedly switched back and forth between the
Torii clan
was a Japanese daimyo family of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Edo periods.
History
Yukinori, the founder of the Watari clan and the Torii clan, was from a family of Kumano Gongen Shinto priests in Kii Province. He was given the family name ...
and the
Andō clan
The is a Japanese samurai kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)">DF 6 of 80">"Andō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 2 [PDF 6 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-5-5.
...
.
Meanwhile, in northern Hamadōri the Sōma and Date clans came to an agreement, with the Sōma clan being granted continued rule over the lands, with the name changed to the
Sōma Domain. It was during this time in the Edo period that Sōma's famed specialty product, Sōma ware, Sōma-yaki pottery, began to be developed.
Meiji Restoration to the present
Following the Meiji Restoration, the Han system, feudal domain system was
Abolition of the han system, abolished and the
prefecture system was established. In line with this, the Iwakidaira, Sōma, and
Tanagura domains were combined into a new
Iwaki Province which was later changed to
Iwasaki Prefecture in 1875. The following year, on August 21, 1876, Iwasaki Prefecture merged with Fukushima Prefecture and
Wakamatsu Prefecture to form present-day Fukushima Prefecture.

Beginning during the Meiji period's
rapid industrialization and continuing until the
post-war rapid economic growth period, the southern section of Hamadōri and the northern part of
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
were developed by mining mogul
Fusanosuke Kuhara, with operations based in
Hitachi, Ibaraki
250px, Hitachi Sakura Festival
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 165,822 in 76,702 households and a population density of 735 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 w ...
. The
Jōban Coalfield extended from
Tomioka, Fukushima down to Hitachi, Ibaraki, with many smaller
mining communities
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry.
Historical mining communities Australia
* Ballarat, Victoria
* Bendig ...
dotting the area in between.
In the midst of the post-war economic growth period,
Onahama developed into an
industrial area. It was during this time period that the mines of the Jōban Coalfield were closed. Following the mines' closure, multiple
nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power st ...
s and
fossil-fuel power plants were opened, turning Hamadōri into a major electricity-generating area.
In addition to power generation, facilities making use of Hamadōri's mild weather such as the
J-Village soccer training camp and
Spa Resort Hawaiians contributed to the local economies.
On March 11, 2011, the
Great East Japan earthquake greatly affected the area. The earthquake shook large sections of Hamadōri with an intensity of
shindo 6+, the second-highest level on the scale. Furthermore, a massive
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
hit and flooded the coast. The combination of the powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami resulted in both large-scale loss of life and massive damage to property and infrastructure. Notably, the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
The is a disabled nuclear power plant located on a site in the towns of Ōkuma, Fukushima, Ōkuma and Futaba, Fukushima, Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The plant Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, suffered major damage from the 201 ...
was heavily damaged by the tsunami, leading to the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which r ...
.
Regions
Inter-region exchange
Due to being sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Abukuma Highlands, Hamadōri tends to be more deeply linked with other cities along the
Jōban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following ...
, namely
Mito to the south and
Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan.
...
to the north, than when compared to other cities in Fukushima Prefecture, such as
Fukushima (Fukushima Prefecture's capital) or
Kōriyama
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 321,938 people in 141760 households, and a population density of 425 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Kōriyama is designated as a core city and ...
(the prefecture's economic and transportation hub), both of which are in the prefecture's
Nakadōri region. Due to this, the southern part of Hamadōri has deeper ties with
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
compared to the
Tōhoku region
The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.
Tōhoku retains ...
of which it is officially a part of.
This can be observed in the regions' goods and tourism advertising, as advertising in
Sōma in the north tends to emphasize Hamadōri, whereas advertising in Iwaki in the south also emphasizes the northern area of Ibaraki Prefecture. Iwaki products are also sold at
Hitachi Station, which is in Ibaraki.
Also, many households in the north of Hamadōri receive local TV stations from
Miyagi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
, whereas many in the south receive
Kantō stations.
Municipal governments
Sōsō
The administrative area of the had a 2010 population of 195,938 people.
*
**
Sōma
**
Minamisōma
is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 53,462 in 26,355 households, and a population density of 130 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Minamisōma is located in northea ...
***
Sōma District
***
Shinchi -
Iitate
*
**
Futaba
***
Hirono -
Naraha -
Tomioka -
Kawauchi -
Ōkuma -
Futaba -
Namie
is a Towns of Japan, town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. the town has a population of 1,238 in 794 households, although the official registered population was 17,114 in 6853 households. The total area of the town is .
The town was ev ...
-
Katsurao
Iwaki
The administrative area of the had a 2010 population of 342,198 people.
*
Iwaki (
core city
In urban planning, a historic core city or central city is the municipality with the largest 1940 population in the present metropolitan area (metropolitan statistical area). This term was retired by the US census bureau and replaced by the term ...
)
Power plants
Nuclear power plants
*
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
The is a disabled nuclear power plant located on a site in the towns of Ōkuma, Fukushima, Ōkuma and Futaba, Fukushima, Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The plant Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, suffered major damage from the 201 ...
(
Ōkuma/
Futaba)
*
Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant
The is a nuclear power plant located on a site in the town of Naraha and Tomioka in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) runs the plant.
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, ...
(
Tomioka/
Naraha)
Fossil-fuel power plants
*
Hara Thermal Power Plant
*
Hirono Power Station
*
Nakoso Power Plant
*
Shinchi Power Plant
Transportation
Rail
*
Ban'etsu East Line
*
Jōban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following ...
Expressways
*
Ban-etsu Expressway
*
Jōban Expressway
National roads
*
National Route 6
*
National Route 49 (
Taira
The was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period of Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto, the Fujiwara, and the Tachibana. The clan is divided into four major groups, named ...
-
Kōriyama
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 321,938 people in 141760 households, and a population density of 425 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Kōriyama is designated as a core city and ...
-
Aizuwakamatsu
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 118,159 in 50,365 households, and a population density of 310 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
History
The area of present-day Aizuwakamatsu ...
-
Niigata)
*
National Route 289 (
Nakoso -
Tanagura -
Shirakawa -
Tajima -
Tadami)
*
National Route 288 (
Futaba - Kōriyama)
*
National Route 459 (
Namie
is a Towns of Japan, town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. the town has a population of 1,238 in 794 households, although the official registered population was 17,114 in 6853 households. The total area of the town is .
The town was ev ...
-
Nihonmatsu -
Kitakata -
Tsugawa)
*
National Route 114 (Namie -
Kawamata -
Fukushima)
*
National Route 115 (
Sōma - Fukushima -
Inawashiro)
*
National Route 113 (Sōma -
Shiroishi -
Nan'yō)
Media
Newspapers
*
Iwaki Minpo
FM radio stations
*
Sea Wave FM Iwaki
See also
*
Aizu
is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princ ...
*
Futabasaurus
*
Hula Girls
is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, ...
*
Iwaki clan
*
Iwaki Province (718)
was an old province in the area that is today Fukushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Iwaki''" in .
History
This iteration of Iwaki Province lasted for a brief period of time in Nara period. Establish ...
*
Iwaki Province (1868)
*
Iwakidaira Domain
*
Jōban Coalfield
*
Nakadōri
*
Sōma clan
The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan that ruled the northern Hamadōri region of southern Mutsu Province in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan for over 700 years, from the Kamakura period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The S ...
*
Sōma Domain
*
Sōma-nomaoi
References
*''The information in this article is based on that in its
Japanese equivalent''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamadori
Geography of Fukushima Prefecture
Tōhoku region