Rikuzentakata is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. In the census of 2010, the city had a population of 23,302, and a population density of 100 persons per km2. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami caused extensive damage to the city. As of 31 March 2020, the city had an estimated population of 19,062, and a population density of 82 persons per km2 in 7,593 households. The total area of the city is 231.94 square kilometres (89.55 sq mi).

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at 15,275 square kilometres (5,898 sq mi), with a population of 1,165,886. Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the west, and Miyagi Prefecture to the south.