Royal visit

September 22, 2013

Crown prince, princess visit displaced people in Fukushima

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130922p2g00m0dm055000c.html

KORIYAMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako took a day trip to Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sunday to visit people affected by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.

The couple last visited the prefecture in July 2011. In late August this year, they visited displaced people in neighboring Miyagi Prefecture.

In Koriyama, the royal couple were greeted by around 50 of the 80 residents in temporary housing, who evacuated from the town of Futaba in the same prefecture due to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster.

Crown Prince Naruhito expressed sympathy to Kisa Horikawa, 76, who lost her husband about three months ago.

Crown Princess Masako told another evacuee, "Please, be careful about your health."

The couple also visited a facility that measures the radiation levels of produce as well as Pep Kids Koriyama indoor playground, where around 240 children and parents were present.

Fukushima Prefecture runs the radiation measuring facility in an effort to reduce the reputational damage to farmers in Fukushima Prefecture from the nuclear crisis.

On Friday, the crown prince and princess met with Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, and were briefed about the situation at the Fukushima plant, including recent leaks of radiation-contaminated water.