right|thumb|250px|Ōma town hall

thumb|250px|Monument at the northernmost point of Honshū (Omazaki)

is a town located in Shimokita District, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 4,565 in 2,234 households, and a population density of . The total area of the town is . It is the northernmost municipality on the island of Honshu. Most of the coastline is dominated by coastal terraces.The longest river is the Okuto River (8.7 km long), which originates from Mount Otaki. More than 70% of the town is national forest, about 25% is farmland and wilderness, and the total residential area is less than 1%. The town extends approximately 8 kilometers east-to-west and 15 kilometers north-to-south. Much of the town is within the limits of the Shimokita Hanto Quasi-National Park. In 2002, the Ministry of the Environment classified some tidal flats of the Ōma shoreline as one of the 500 Important Wetlands in Japan particularly for its biodiversity of marine flora, especially several varieties of kelp.

Neighbouring municipalities

Aomori Prefecture

  • Kazamaura
  • Mutsu
  • Sai

Climate

The town has a climate characterized by cool short summers and long cold winters with strong winds (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Ōma is . The average annual rainfall is with August as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Demographics

According to Japanese census data, the population of Ōma has declined since 1960.

History

The area around Ōma was inhabited by the Emishi people until the historical period. During the Edo period, it was controlled by the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain. During the post-Meiji restoration establishment of the modern municipalities system on 1 April 1889, Ōoku Village was proclaimed from the merger of Ōma hamlet with neighboring Okudo hamlet. It was renamed Ōma Town on 3 November 1942.

Ōma has been a popular location setting for movies and television dramas. It was the setting for the 1983 movie starring Ken Ogata. In 2000, Ōma was the setting for an NHK television series starring Tabata Tomoko. This was followed by another fictional series on TV Asahi starring Tetsuya Watari in 2007.

Government

Ōma has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of ten members. Ōma is part of Shimokita District which, together with the city of Mutsu, contributes three members to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Aomori 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

thumb|From the Observation Deck of Seaside Cattle Park Oma (Municipal Tourist Ranch), Oma Town, Tsugaru Strait, and Hokkaido can be seen. The central school building is Oma High School.

thumb|Seaside Cattle Park Oma (Town Management Ranch)

thumb|Omazaki fishing port

The economy of Ōma was traditionally heavily dependent on commercial fishing. The town was famous for having the "black diamond" of tuna, which are caught in the traditional manner by hand in two-person boats, and sold under the "Ōma" registered brand. One Ōma tuna was sold at a then record-high 333.6 million yen in January 2019. Other seafood products include sea urchin roe, konbu and squid. The new record price for a bluefin tuna, 510 million yen in 2026, was set by a 243 kg tuna caught off the coast of Ōma.

The town is the site of a nuclear power plant, the Ōma Nuclear Power Plant, which has faced numerous delays. What makes the nuclear power plant unique is its use of MOX fuel when it comes on line.

Education

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

Transportation

Railway

The town has no passenger railway service. The nearest station is Ōminato Station on the JR East Ōminato Line in Mutsu City.

Highway

Seaport

  • Port of Ōma – Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry operates scheduled services to Hakodate in Hokkaido.

Local attractions

  • Akaishi Beach
  • Ōma Onsen, hot spring resort
  • Ōmazaki, northernmost point on the island of Honshū
  • Ōmazaki Lighthouse, one of the "50 Lighthouses of Japan"

Sister cities

In Japan

  • Hakodate, Hokkaidō

Overseas

  • Huwei, Yunlin, Taiwan

Notable people from Ōma

  • Hiroshi Izumi – silver medalist in judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics

References

  • Official Website