Ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress visited the disaster-stricken areas of Fukushima Prefecture online and talked with the victims.
Their Majesties' online visits to the disaster-stricken areas followed last month's Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, and were held on the afternoon of the 28th, connecting the Akasaka Imperial Property where they live and Fukushima prefecture via the Internet.
Their Majesties first received an explanation from Governor Uchibori about the reconstruction situation, and then visited the prefectural facility "Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Tradition Center" in Futaba Town last September.
After that, after talking with the people who were affected by the disaster in Futaba Town, His Majesty the Emperor told a 66-year-old man who stayed in the prefecture and worked on the convergence of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant while his family evacuated outside the prefecture due to the nuclear accident. "What did you have the most trouble with?" And the Empress said, "I think there have been various difficulties for 10 years."
Their Majesties also talked with the victims of the disaster in Okuma Town.
Among them, a 68-year-old man who worked as the chairman of the town council to lift a part of the evacuation order was told by His Majesty the Emperor, "Why don't you see the state of this town where people are gradually returning?" The Empress also said, "I'm glad that people are back."
As the infection of the new coronavirus spreads, Their Majesties made online visits to the affected areas of each of the three Tohoku prefectures, which they strongly hoped for 10 years after the earthquake.