His Majesty the Emperor attended a memorial service for the victims held in Tokyo with the Empress on the 11th, 10 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and expressed his thoughts on the victims.
The memorial service has been attended by the Emperor and Mrs. Akishino, and Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress attended for the first time.
At the ceremony, His Majesty the Emperor spoke the words after everyone wore masks and a silence was held at 2:46 pm when the earthquake struck.
At the beginning, His Majesty the Emperor expressed his deepest condolences to the victims and their bereaved families, and then stated, "The magnitude of the damage caused by this earthquake is an unforgettable memory that I still can't leave my mind." It was.
Subsequently, while reconstruction is progressing, various issues remain in the disaster area. "It is also possible to heal the emotional wounds of the affected people, including the elderly and children, and watch over their physical and mental health. I feel it is important. "
And, "I hope that the steps of reconstruction will steadily bear fruit so that people in difficult situations can regain their peaceful daily lives as soon as possible without being left behind. I think it is important for all of us to work together and stay close to the people in the affected areas for a long time. "
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress continue to pay attention to the victims
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress have been paying close attention to the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the people affected by them since the time of the Crown Prince and his wife.
In the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, which was an unprecedented disaster, Their Majesties visited a shelter in Tokyo the month after the disaster, followed by Miyagi and Fukushima, which suffered great damage. I visited the three prefectures of Tohoku in Iwate one after another and was visited by the victims.
The Empress continued to receive medical treatment, but she made repeated visits with a strong desire to encourage those affected by the disaster.
At a press conference in February of the following year, His Majesty the Emperor said, "I have always been in my head for the past year," and said, "There are as many people as possible who are still in a difficult situation. I think it is important for people to think and reach out in a way that is possible. "
Since then, Their Majesties have continued to pay attention to the people affected by the disaster and have visited the affected areas in the three prefectures of Tohoku three times each.
At a press conference in 2016, five years after the earthquake, His Majesty the Emperor said, "With Masako, we will consider the sadness and hardships of each victim and wish them the health and happiness of the victims living in a harsh environment. While praying, I would like to continue to devote myself to the reconstruction of the disaster area for a long time. "
And, it is the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, and while the influence of the new coronavirus continues, with the strong hope of Their Majesties, the online visit to the three Tohoku prefectures will be realized, and this month 4 On the day, we visited the reconstruction situation in the disaster area of Iwate prefecture and talked with the people who were affected by the disaster.
In the future, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures will also be visited online.
His Majesty the Emperor said at a press conference before his birthday last month (February) that "the wounds from the earthquake have not healed yet" and that the seismic intensity was 6 in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures that occurred just before. Looking back on the earthquake that observed the strong and violent shaking, "I am reminded of the magnitude of the damage caused by the unprecedented disaster, and I need to think that it is not a thing of the past but a thing that is still going on. I felt it again. "