Hachinohe

Hachinohe, city, southeastern Aomori ken (prefecture), northeastern Honshu, Japan. It is situated on an embayment of the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Mabechi River in the northern part of the Tōhoku region.

Hachinohe was a castle town during the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867) and served as a small commercial centre and port for the excellent fishing grounds off southeastern Hokkaido. The processing of marine products developed after the late 19th century, and other industries (ammonium sulfate, steel, cement) were introduced after World War II. Hachinohe continues to be one of the main deep-sea fishing (cuttlefish, mackerel) ports of Japan. Parts of its coast are renowned for their scenic beauty.

On March 11, 2011, the city sustained significant damage (especially in the port area) from a tsunami, generated by a severe earthquake in the Pacific Ocean off Sendai to the south. Within two years after the disaster, however, much of the damage to infrastructure had been repaired. In addition, parts of the Pacific coast near Hachinohe were incorporated into Sanriku Fukko (Sanriku Reconstruction) National Park, which was established along the northeastern coast of Tōhoku in 2013 as part of the post-tsunami restoration of natural places. Pop. (2010) 237,615; (2015) 231,257.