Crown Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito visit area hit by 2011 tsunami

KESENNUMA, MIYAGI PREF. – Crown Prince Akishino and his son, Prince Hisahito, on Sunday visited the city of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, which was hit hard by major tsunami after the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

They visited the Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake Kesennuma City Memorial Museum, which preserves the former building of Kesennuma Koyo High School, heavily damaged by the tsunami.

This was Prince Hisahito’s first visit to an area devastated by the 2011 disaster.

According to an aide, the visit was made at the wishes of both Crown Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito to mark the 15th anniversary of the disaster.

The old school building remains much as it was at the time of the disaster, including a car that was swept from the ground up to a third-floor classroom, about 8 meters above ground, where it overturned.

Crown Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito toured the building intently as Junnosuke Oikawa, 72, the museum director, and local high school students serving as disaster storytellers explained what happened.

Prince Hisahito asked Yamato Miura, 18, a third-year student at Kesennuma High School, whether even the window frames had been swept away.

As he looked at the gymnasium, whose roof had been swept away, the young prince asked Mio Fukuoka, 17, a third-year student at Kesennuma Koyo High School, “Where was the roof swept away?”

The former school building was flooded to a height of about 12 meters on the fourth floor, but all students, teachers and staff workers were evacuated safely. Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, said, “It’s good that everyone evacuated and was safe.”

On Monday morning, Crown Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito visited Kesennuma’s fish market, which has been restored after suffering tsunami damage.

Wearing caps and rubber boots, they observed the landing of bonito and other operations at the market.