Kumamoto, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived in Kumamoto Prefecture on Wednesday to comfort people affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture in July and to thank those involved in relief efforts. The Imperial couple left Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on a special flight earlier in the day and landed at Kumamoto Airport. After receiving a briefing from Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura about the damage caused by the July 28 earthquake, the Emperor and Empress will fly to the city of Yatsushiro, one of the hardest-hit municipalities, aboard a Self-Defense Forces helicopter in the afternoon. The couple will then travel by car to the cities of Uki and Hikawa, which also suffered severe damage from the quake. They will return to Tokyo later in the day to avoid placing an additional burden on local communities. The visit was initially planned for Tuesday but was postponed because bad weather could make helicopter travel difficult. According to aides, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako were saddened by the severe damage caused by the earthquake, which occurred while reconstruction efforts following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes were still underway. The July earthquake registered the maximum seismic intensity level of 7 on the Japanese scale in Uki and Hikawa. The death toll from the quake, including indirectly caused deaths, has reached 38, according to the Kumamoto prefectural government. As of Tuesday, about 72,000 homes had been confirmed as damaged, including about 9,700 that were completely or partially destroyed, and about 1,400 people were staying in evacuation centers. Wednesday’s visit was the first by the Emperor and Empress to a disaster-stricken region since they visited the central city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in December 2024 after torrential rains lashed the Noto Peninsula. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
