Sanriku (三陸), sometimes known asRikushū (陸州), lies on the northeastern side of the island ofHonshu, corresponding to today'sAomori,Iwate and parts ofMiyagi Prefecture and has a long history.
The 36 bays of this irregular coastline tend to amplify the destructiveness of tsunami waves which reach the shores of Sanriku,[1] as demonstrated in the damage caused by the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
On January 19, 1869, in the aftermath of theBoshin War, the provinces ofMutsu andDewa were divided. Mutsu was split into new five provinces:Rikuō (also readMutsu),Rikuchū,Rikuzen,Iwashiro andIwaki. The first three of these collectively known as the "Three Riku", orSanriku, with san (三) meaning "three."[2]
The new provinces became quickly obsolete in July 1871 when theabolition of the han system divided Japan into its presentprefectures that became the sole divisions used by the government. However, the label lives on in common usages such as theSanriku Coast, which extends along Japan's Pacific coastline from Aomori in the north down to theOshika Peninsula in Miyagi.[3]
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