Japan’s Emperor, His Family Visit Fukushima

Tokyo, April 6 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, visited Fukushima Prefecture on Monday to inspect the reconstruction efforts following the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident 15 years ago. This is the first time since the disaster that members of the Imperial Family have visited the municipalities hosting Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the site of the nuclear accident. It is also the first visit to the northeastern Japan prefecture by Princess Aiko. The family arrived in Fukushima by Shinkansen bullet train. After receiving a briefing on the reconstruction efforts from Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori at the prefectural government office, the family will visit the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in the town of Futaba, one of the municipalities that host the plant. After laying flowers at the facility to mourn the victims of the disaster, they will tour the exhibits and meet with people affected by the disaster. On Tuesday, they will tour a disaster memorial facility in the town of Tomioka. They will also observe classes for elementary and junior high school students at “Manabiya Yumenomori,” an educational facility in the town of Okuma, also home to the nuclear plant. The family will also stop at a roadside service area in the town of Namie, before returning to Tokyo at night. The Emperor and the Empress spoke online to people in areas affected by the disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the 10th anniversary of the disaster. This time, the couple wanted to visit the disaster sites in person, and also hoped to be accompanied by Princess Aiko, as they place importance on passing down memories of the disaster. Their visit to Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, also northeastern Japan, scheduled for March 25-26, was postponed due to the couple’s cold symptoms. According to a close aide, the Emperor has fully recovered, and the Empress has nearly recovered, although she still has a slight cough. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]