It has been two years since Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako last visited Iwate Prefecture in Tohoku Region. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, also called the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, after the region that suffered the disaster. The royal couple was back on Tuesday to visit hard-hit areas and the victims of the natural disasters. This time, they went to Miyagi Prefecture, one of the three prefectures that suffered the most damage.
Riding on JR East train, the royal couple arrived at JR Sendai Station and were greeted by the townspeople. In the afternoon of their stay in town, the crown prince and crown princess went to a temporary housing complex in Shichigahama. Both greeted the 40 residents staying there. They also visited the Okada Producers’ Association, a miso processing plant in Miyagino, a ward in Sendai. Plant workers greeted the royal couple who spent some time watching them make miso. Okada Producers’ Association used to stand near the coastline before the tsunami damaged the plant.
Just last month, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko also visited Iwate Prefecture, which was also hard-hit by the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. The monarchs of Japan also visited a temporary housing complex. Residents of the complex were said to have come from Kamaishi and other affected towns.
[via Jiji Press]