Japan Emperor, Empress to Visit Quake-Hit Hokkaido on Thurs.

November 13, 2018

Tokyo--Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will take a day trip on Thursday to the town of Atsuma in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which was hit hard by a powerful earthquake in September, according to their travel plan reported to a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The Imperial couple will depart from Tokyo International Airport at Haneda on Thursday morning, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

After arriving at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, the Emperor and the Empress will head for Atsuma and visit areas damaged by landslides caused by the 6.7-magnitude quake, which measured the highest reading of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the town.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will to give encouragement to people affected by the Sept. 6 temblor, and hold talks with police officers, firefighters and Self-Defense Forces personnel who engaged in search and rescue activities, and with volunteers who offered support to survivors.

The couple will return to Tokyo on Thursday evening.

The earthquake killed 41 people, mainly in Atsuma. Blackouts occurred across Hokkaido soon after the quake struck.

At the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Sept. 25, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received an explanation from Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi on the extent of damage from the quake.

The Emperor and the Empress have been continuing to visit areas affected by large-scale natural disasters.

In September, they visited the western prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima and Ehime, which were hit hard by torrential rains in July. Jiji Press