is the easternmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two being Nakadà Âri in the central area of the prefecture and Aizu in the west. Hamadà Âri is bordered by the Abukuma Highlands to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
The principal city of the area is Iwaki.
In ancient Japan, the area currently known as Hamadà Âri served as a connecting route on the so-called route from Kinai in the central area of the country to Mutsu Province in northeastern Japan. The region that the road traversed also came to be known as Kaidà Â.
Following the implementation of the Ritsuryà  system, the route's name was changed to . Despite the newly named Tà Âkaidà  route extending up to Taga Castle in present-day Miyagi Prefecture, the region known as Tà Âkaidà  extended only as far as the northernmost border of Hitachi Province, and the area of Hamadà Âri was considered a part of the Tà Âsandà  region.
Following the conclusion of the Boshin War, the eastern section of present-day Fukushima Prefecture split off from Mutsu Province and formed Iwaki Province, the area of which included the Shirakawa District and the southern portion of modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, which the Shirakawa clan and Date clan, respectively, conquered during the Sengoku period.
The Kaidà Â/Tà Âkaidà  route has been used continuously since the times of ancient Japan and into the modern age, with National Route 6, the Jà Âban Expressway, and the Jà Âban Line all beginning in Tokyo and running north along the route.
Compared to the cities of the Sà Âma Domain in the northern area of present-day Hamadà Âri, Taira, in the south, was more developed due to it having had a longer history of being a political center, its close proximity to Tokyo, and its higher population and levels of commerce. Due to these reasons, Hamadà Âri is also sometimes subdivided into to refer to the city of Iwaki in the south and to refer to the cities in Futaba District and the former Sà Âma Domain the north.
Hamadà Âri, which can be literally translated to âÂÂcoastal pathâÂÂ, makes up the eastern third of Fukushima Prefecture and comprises the entirety of the prefecture's Pacific Ocean coastal region.
The eastern section of Hamadà Âri is largely coastal plains sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Abukuma Highlands to the west. Hamadà Âri extends to the west until the Abukuma Highlands' ridge, which forms the border with Nakadà Âri.
Hamadà Âri belongs to Japan's Pacific Climate Zone, and seasonal winds from the Sea of Japan are largely blocked by the à Âu Mountains and the Abukuma Highlands, leading to mild winters with little snowfall.
It is said that in ancient Japan, present-day Hamadà Âri was in the possession of the . Shortly following the organization of a national government through the Ritsuryà  system, Iwaki Province was founded in 718 then approximately a decade later was absorbed into Mutsu Province.
Near the end of the Heian period, the Iwaki clan, having connections to Hiraizumi, built a base in Iinodaira, which is now a part of the present-day city of Iwaki. There they built the Shiramizu Amidadà  temple and held power over the southern section of Hamadà Âri.
Entering into the Kamakura period, the Sà Âma clan moved from Nagareyama in present-day Chiba Prefecture to the northern area of Hamadà Âri and gained control over the former Iwaki Province's districts of Uda, Namekata, and Shineha.
During the Sengoku period, Hamadà Âri served as a buffer zone between the Satake clan, based in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture, and the Date clan, which had control over present-day Miyagi Prefecture, north-central Fukushima Prefecture, and southern Yamagata Prefecture.
In the Battle of Sekigahara the Iwaki clan fought for the western side, however after the western army was defeated the Iwaki clan was exiled and fled to Yurihonjà Â, Akita. Following the exile of the Iwaki clan, southern Hamadà Âri became the Iwakidaira Domain. Control of the Iwakidaira Domain subsequently repeatedly switched back and forth between the Torii clan and the Andà  clan.
Meanwhile, in northern Hamadà Âri the Sà Âma and Date clans came to an agreement, with the Sà Âma clan being granted continued rule over the lands, with the name changed to the Sà Âma Domain. It was during this time in the Edo period that Sà Âma's famed specialty product, Sà Âma-yaki pottery, began to be developed.
Following the Meiji Restoration, the feudal domain system was abolished and the prefecture system was established. In line with this, the Iwakidaira, SÃ Âma, and Tanagura domains were combined into a new Iwaki Province which was later changed to Iwasaki Prefecture in 1875. The following year, on August 21, 1876, Iwasaki Prefecture merged with Fukushima Prefecture and Wakamatsu Prefecture to form present-day Fukushima Prefecture.
Beginning during the Meiji period's rapid industrialization and continuing until the post-war rapid economic growth period, the southern section of Hamadà Âri and the northern part of Ibaraki Prefecture were developed by mining mogul Fusanosuke Kuhara, with operations based in Hitachi, Ibaraki. The Jà Âban Coalfield extended from Tomioka, Fukushima down to Hitachi, Ibaraki, with many smaller mining communities dotting the area in between.
In the midst of the post-war economic growth period, Onahama developed into an industrial area. It was during this time period that the mines of the Jà Âban Coalfield were closed. Following the mines' closure, multiple nuclear power plants and fossil-fuel power plants were opened, turning Hamadà Âri into a major electricity-generating area.
In addition to power generation, facilities making use of Hamadà Âri's mild weather such as the J-Village soccer training camp and Spa Resort Hawaiians contributed to the local economies.
On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan earthquake greatly affected the area. The earthquake shook large sections of Hamadà Âri with an intensity of shindo 6+, the second-highest level on the scale. Furthermore, a massive tsunami hit and flooded the coast. The combination of the powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami resulted in both large-scale loss of life and massive damage to property and infrastructure. Notably, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was heavily damaged by the tsunami, leading to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Due to being sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Abukuma Highlands, Hamadà Âri tends to be more deeply linked with other cities along the Jà Âban Line, namely Mito to the south and Sendai to the north, than when compared to other cities in Fukushima Prefecture, such as Fukushima (Fukushima Prefecture's capital) or Kà Âriyama (the prefecture's economic and transportation hub), both of which are in the prefecture's Nakadà Âri region. Due to this, the southern part of Hamadà Âri has deeper ties with Ibaraki Prefecture compared to the Tà Âhoku region of which it is officially a part of.
This can be observed in the regions' goods and tourism advertising, as advertising in Sà Âma in the north tends to emphasize Hamadà Âri, whereas advertising in Iwaki in the south also emphasizes the northern area of Ibaraki Prefecture. Iwaki products are also sold at Hitachi Station, which is in Ibaraki.
Also, many households in the north of Hamadà Âri receive local TV stations from Miyagi Prefecture, whereas many in the south receive Kantà  stations.
The administrative area of the had a 2010 population of 195,938 people.
The administrative area of the had a 2010 population of 342,198 people.