Their Majesties visit areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress took a day trip to Kumamoto Prefecture on the 30th to visit victims of the Kumamoto earthquake in July. They toured the hard-hit areas of Yatsushiro City and Hikawa Town and met with disaster victims living in evacuation centers. He praised those who responded to the disaster.

Their Majesties arrived at Kumamoto Airport on a special plane around 11:30 a.m. They transferred to a Self-Defense Forces helicopter and landed at a temporary helipad on a riverbed in Yatsushiro City at around 1:45 p.m., where they bowed silently to areas that had suffered extensive damage, including the Yatsushiro Mill of Nippon Paper Industries, where a chimney had collapsed.

According to Governor Takashi Kimura, who accompanied them, their Majesties were briefed on the factory and Aeon Mall Kumamoto (Kashima Town), where the explosion occurred.

Their Majesties then visited Sakurajuji Hall Yatsushiro (Yatsushiro City), an evacuation center where about 80 people took shelter. He bent down and listened to the stories of the victims, saying things like, ``It must have been tough.''