Japan Emperor, Empress to Visit Western Areas Hit by July Downpour

September 11, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will travel later this month to three western prefectures hit hard by July's torrential rains that caused floods and landslides.

The visit plan was reported to Tuesday's cabinet meeting.

To encourage people afflicted by the disaster, the couple will take a day trip to Hiroshima and Okayama on Thursday and to Ehime on Sept. 20.

The Emperor and Empress last went on a trip for a similar purpose to a disaster-hit area in October 2017, excluding visits for inspecting reconstruction work.

At that time, they visited the southwestern prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita, also severely damaged by heavy rains.

According to the Imperial Household Agency, the two will depart from Tokyo International Airport at Haneda aboard a special jet on Thursday morning.

After arriving at Hiroshima Airport, the couple will fly to the city of Kure in Hiroshima via a Self-Defense Forces helicopter. They will visit some locations in the city, including a temporary housing area, in the afternoon to learn of the extent of damage from the downpour and meet with people affected by the disaster.

The Emperor and Empress will then move to the city of Kurashiki in Okayama by helicopter to give encouragement to local residents and extend words of appreciation to police, fire and SDF officials who got involved in rescue operations. They will fly back to Tokyo in the evening.

Details of their visit to Ehime have yet to be decided.

The couple have been concerned about the situation in the western prefectures since right after the downpour hit the region. They met with the governors of the three prefectures at their residence at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo over a period from late July to early August to receive explanations about the damage situation. Jiji Press