[3] Rikuzentakata is located in the far southeast corner of Iwate Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east.

The area of present-day Rikuzentakata was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period.

Kesen and Takata merged with the neighboring town of Hirota and villages of Otomo, Takekoma, Yokota and Yonezaki on January 1, 1955 to form the city of Rikuzentakata.

[14] A BBC film dated 20 March reported that the harbour gates of the town failed to shut as the tsunami approached, and that 45 young firemen were swept away while attempting to close them manually.

The town's mayor, Futoshi Toba, was at his post at the city hall and survived, but his wife was killed at their seaside home.

In 2014, a massive conveyor belt system was being used to carry rock from a hill across the Kesen River from the city centre.

The conveyor belt system featured a long suspension span that crossed the Kesen River, and was named the "Bridge of Hope."

[21] Currently a new marketplace and community center has been established upon one such elevated plot of land, and work is ongoing to create a new street grid.

In addition, new bridges are being established across the Kesen River, including an extension and bypass for the Sanriku Expressway and Japan National Route 45.

Rikuzentakata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.