Japan Emperor, Empress Talk with Fukushima Nuclear Evacuees

June 10, 2018

Iwaki, Fukushima Pref.- Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Saturday visited a public housing complex in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, and held talks with residents who have been evacuated due to a severe nuclear accident that occurred in the northeastern Japan prefecture some seven years ago.

A total of some 440 people from about 270 families from Fukushima municipalities near Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station live in the complex. At the plant, an unprecedented triple meltdown accident happened soon after it was struck by huge tsunami from the March 2011 powerful earthquake, which mainly hit Fukushima and nearby prefectures.

After arriving at the housing complex shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday (6 a.m. GMT), Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greeted residents, saying, among other things, "I'm afraid you felt scared" and "You've had a hard time, haven't you?"

The couple then held talks with four evacuees from the towns of Tomioka, Okuma, Futaba and Namie for about 20 minutes at a meeting room at the complex. "I think you've had a lot of difficulties, but I hope you will join forces to overcome the problems and establish a better life," the Emperor said.

One of the residents who talked with the Emperor and the Empress said, "I'm very honored" to meet with the Imperial couple. Another said, "Their words encouraged me to aim for rebuilding my life."

Later on Saturday, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko moved to Spa Resort Hawaiians, where they will stay the night, and attended a reception for the 69th annual national tree-planting festival, to be held in the Fukushima city of Minamisoma on Sunday.

They also watched a dance performance by local "hula girls," who have toured across Japan since the March 2011 disaster and are regarded as a symbol of postdisaster reconstruction.

The Emperor and the Empress arrived in Fukushima on Saturday for a three-day visit. With Emperor Akihito set to abdicate at the end of April 2019, this year's tree-planting festival will be the last such event taking place with the participation of the current Emperor and Empress. Jiji Press