Crown Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito visit area hit by 2011 tsunami
The visit was Prince Hisahito's first to an area devastated by the disaster.
KESENNUMA, Miyagi Prefecture – Crown Prince Akishino and his son Prince Hisahito recently visited Kesennuma, a city heavily impacted by the 2011 tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The royal couple toured the Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake Kesennuma City Memorial Museum, which houses the remaining structure of Kesennuma Koyo High School, severely damaged by the tsunami.
This marked Prince Hisahito's first visit to an area affected by the disaster. The museum director, Junnosuke Oikawa, and local high school students explained the events to the royal visitors. Prince Hisahito inquired about the impact on the school's window frames and gymnasium roof while touring the museum. Both princes expressed relief that everyone had evacuated safely, despite the fourth floor being flooded to a height of around 12 meters.
On Monday, they returned to Kesennuma's fish market, now restored after the tsunami, observing the market's operations while donning protective gear.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
