Japan's Prince Hisahito visits 3.11 quake-hit area for 1st time with Crown Prince Akishino

Prince Akishino and his son, Prince Hisahito, ventured to Kesennuma city in northeastern Japan on September 13 for an unprecedented visit to a memorial museum preserving the ruins from the devastating March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. This marked the first time Prince Hisahito had set foot in the area affected by the disaster.

At the Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake Kesennuma City Memorial Museum, the two princes toured the remnants of the former Miyagi Prefectural Kesennuma Koyo High School, which was significantly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. More than 1,400 residents lost their lives or remain missing, including those who died as a result of the disaster. The museum displayed the original buildings of the school, which still bore the scars of the catastrophe.

Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito walked through the debris-strewn gymnasium, now reduced to nothing but its steel frame, guided by Mio Fukuoka, a 17-year-old third-year student. Upon hearing her explanation, Prince Hisahito inquired about the upper part of the structure that had disappeared during the disaster. Prince Akishino, reassured by the fact that the students engaged in club activities at the time had managed to evacuate safely, expressed his relief, saying, "I'm glad they were safe."

The tsunami reached a height of 12 meters, surging up to the fourth floor of the school building and causing a building to be swept away by the waves, which subsequently crashed into the school. Both princes observed the remnants of the disaster and viewed video footage summarizing the tsunami, fires, and the progress of subsequent reconstruction efforts.