More than six months after the March 11 disaster, Ishinomaki’s
residential district of Ogatsucho finds itself with no hospital, no
supermarket, no gas stations, a declining population and little hope for
the future.
The population of the district has gone from about 4,300 before the
earthquake and tsunami to only about 1,000 today as residents continue
to abandon the area.
The central area of the district, which was known for its production of
Ogatsu Suzuri inkstones, was devastated in the tsunami, leaving 262
residents dead or missing. Much of the area is deserted, with weeds
growing on empty land where houses used to stand.
The only hospital and only supermarket in the district were destroyed by
the tsunami.
According to an Ishinomaki municipal government branch office in the
district, the number of registered residents has been falling since the
disaster and stood at 3,300 as of the end of August. But a worker at the
office said the actual population is closer to 1,000 because many
residents have moved out without reporting to the office. (Yomiuri)
