Japan’s Prince Hisahito Visits Disaster-Hit Areas

Rikuzentakata, Iwate Pref., Sept. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and his son, Prince Hisahito, on Sunday and Monday visited areas in northeastern Japan that were hit hard by a massive earthquake and tsunami 15 years ago. It was Prince Hisahito’s first trip to an area devastated by the 2011 disaster. On Sunday, they visited a facility in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, that preserves the former building of Kesennuma Koyo High School, heavily damaged by the tsunami. Prince Hisahito asked Yamato Miura, 18, a third-year student at Kesennuma High School, whether even the window frames had been lost to the tsunami. As he looked at the gymnasium, the young prince asked Mio Fukuoka, 17, a third-year student at Kesennuma Koyo High School, “Was the roof swept away?” The former school building was flooded to a height of about 12 meters on the fourth floor, but all students, teachers and staff workers were evacuated safely. Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, said, “It’s good that everyone evacuated and was safe.” On Monday, they visited Kesennuma’s fish market, which has been restored after suffering tsunami damage. They then offered flowers and prayed at a memorial park in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, and toured a clinic operated by a foundation backed by the Crown Prince. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]