Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito visit Kesennuma 15 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake

On the 13th, Prince Akishino and his eldest son Hisahito (20) visited Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and toured the city's Great East Japan Earthquake Remains and Heritage Museum, which has preserved and maintained the former school building of Kesennuma Mukayo High School, which was damaged by the tsunami. This is Hisahito's first visit to the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Prince Hisahito greets Their Majesties on his 20th birthday

The students eagerly toured the old school building, which was still in its original condition, with an overturned car that had been washed away about 8 meters above the ground remaining in a classroom on the third floor, listening to explanations from director Junnosuke Oikawa (72) and a ``storyteller'' consisting of local high school students.

Prince Hisahito asked Yamato Miura, 18, a third-year student at Kesennuma High School, ``Did the window frames also wash away?'' Mio Fukuoka (17), a third-year student at Kesennuma Mukaiyo High School, explained about the indoor sports field where the roof had been washed away, and asked, ``Did the upper part go somewhere else?''

The tsunami flooded the old school building to a height of approximately 12 meters on the fourth floor, but all students and staff were safe. Prince Akishino said, ``I'm glad everyone evacuated and was safe.''

On the morning of the 14th, Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito visited the Kesennuma City Fish Market, which has been restored following tsunami damage. Wearing hats and rain boots, we observed the unloading of bonito.