Ōma

Ōma (大間町) is a town located in Aomori, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 4,868 in 2500 households, and a population density of 93 /km2. The total area of the town is 52.10 sqkm.

Geography
Ōma occupies the northwestern coastline of Shimokita Peninsula, facing the Tsugaru Strait. Cape Ōmazaki (大間崎) is the northernmost point on the island of Honshū. 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
 * Mutsu
 * Sai
 * Kazamaura

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 10.2 C. The average annual rainfall is 1158.2 mm with August as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.7 C, and lowest in January, at around 0.0 C.

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 Gyōei no mure (魚影の群れ) starring Ken Ogata. In 2000, Ōma was the setting for an NHK television series Watashi no Aoi Sora (私の青空) starring Tabata Tomoko. This was followed by another fictional series Maguro (マグロ) 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 city is part of Aomori 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
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 record-high 333.6 million yen in January 2019. Other seafood products include sea urchin roe, konbu and squid.

The town is the site of a nuclear power plant, the Ōma Nuclear Power Plant, which will be unique in 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.

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

Local attractions

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

In Japan

 * 🇯🇵 Hakodate, Hokkaidō

Overseas

 * 🇹🇼 Huwei, Yunlin, Taiwan

Noted people from Ōma

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