Kesen District, Iwate

This article is about Kesen District. For the Kesen meteorite, seeKesen meteorite.For the dialect of Kesen County, seeKesen dialect.

• List of Provinces of Japan>Tōsandō>Rikuzen Province>Kesen District
• Japan>Tōhoku region>Iwate Prefecture>Kesen District

Map showing original extent of Kesen District in Iwate Prefecture

colored area=original extent in Meiji period; green=present area

Kesen(Khí tiên quận,Kesen-gun)is arural districtinIwate Prefecture,in theTōhoku regionof northern Japan.

Formerly, the area of the cities ofRikusentakataandŌfunatowere within the borders of the district. As of 1 June 2019the district consists only of the town ofSumitawith a population of 5,228 people, with a density of 15.6 per km²and an area of 334.84 square kilometres (129.28 sq mi).

History

During theEdo periodunder theTokugawa shogunate,the district was withinMutsu Provinceand was under the control of theDate clanof theSendai Domain.In 1869, following theMeiji restoration,Mutsu Province was divided, with the area of Kesen District becoming part ofRikuchū Province,and from 1872, part of Iwate Prefecture.

On April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the municipalities system, the district was organized into two towns (Sakari and Takata) and 20 villages.

1. Sakari; 2. Yonesaki; 3. Ōfunato; 4. Massaki; 5. Otomo; 6. Hirota; 7. Takata; 8. Kesen; 9. Yasaku: 10. Takekoma; 11. Yokota; 12. Setamai; 13. Shimoarisu; 14. Kamiarisu; 15. Hikoroichi; 16. Takkon; 17. Ikawa: 18. Akasaki; 19. Ryōri; 20. Okirai; 21. Yoshihama; 22. Tōni; Purple = Ōfunato City; Orange= Sumita Town; Pink = Rikuzentakata Town; Blue = Kamaishi City

Subsequent timeline

• November 1, 1926 - The village of Kesen elevated to town status (3 towns, 19 villages)
• April 1, 1932 - The village of Ōfunato raised to town status. (4 towns, 18 villages)
• April 29, 1940 - The village of Setamai raised to town status. (5 towns, 17 villages)
• April 1, 1952 - The towns of Ōfunato and Sakari and the villages of Akasaki, Ikawa, Takkon, Hikoroichi and Massaki merge to form the city of Ōfunato. (3 towns, 12 villages)
• June 1, 1952 - The village of Hirota raised to town status. (4 towns, 11 villages)
• January 1, 1955 – The towns of Takata, Kesen and Hirota and the villages of Otomo, Takekoma, Yasaki, Yokota, and Yonesaki merged to form the city of Rikuzentakata. (1 town, 6 villages)
• April 1, 1955 - The town of Setamai and the villages of Shimoarisu and Kamiarisu merged to form the town of Sumita (1 town, 4 villages)
• April 1, 1955 - The village of Tōni annexed by the city of Kamaishi. (1 town, 3 villages)
• September 30, 1956 - The villages of Okirai, Yoshihama, and Ryōri merged to form the village of Sanriku. (1 town, 1 village)
• April 1, 1967 – The village of Sanriku raised to town status (2 towns)
• November 15, 2001: The town of Sanriku is annexed by the city of Ōfunato. (1 town)