Prince William in Fukushima (2)

March 1, 2015

Prince William delights nuclear accident-affected children before leaving Japan

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201503010027

By MANA NAGANO/ Staff Writer

MOTOMIYA, Fukushima Prefecture--Britain's Prince William visited areas in Fukushima Prefecture impacted by the nuclear accident on Feb. 28, drawing renewed attention from the world to the persistent suffering in the region and providing a boost to local residents.

Accompanied by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, William visited the Smile Kids Park playground in Motomiya and played with local children whose lives have been greatly affected by the nuclear accident set off by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

The playground facility was created by the city in 2012 after thorough decontamination efforts of the area to provide children with a space to play without fearing any effects from radiation contamination.

To leave a memento of his visit, William planted a memorial European oak tree with the help of local children in the outdoor area of the facility.

“He was kind enough to say ‘thank you for waiting for me in the cold’ to us,” said a local elementary fifth-grader who participated in the event.

William wrapped up his four-day visit to Japan and left for China on March 1.