Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to visit Kumamoto — The Japan Times

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, which was hit by a powerful earthquake on July 28. The Japanese government approved the plan for the one-day trip at a Cabinet meeting on Friday, The Japan Times reports.

Meetings with those affected

The imperial couple plans to visit areas of the cities of Yatsushiro and Uki and the town of Hikawa, which suffered significant damage as a result of the July earthquake. In the morning, Naruhito and Masako are scheduled to arrive at Kumamoto Airport on a special flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

After arriving, they will hear a report from Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Takashi Kimura on the damage caused by the disaster. In the afternoon, the emperor and empress are scheduled to fly to Yatsushiro by helicopter of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

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Inspection of affected areas

In Yatsushiro, the couple plans to meet with people affected by the earthquake, as well as participants in relief efforts. They will then travel by car to Hikawa and Uki, where they will inspect the affected areas and speak with local residents.

After that, the emperor and empress will return to Tokyo on a special flight. In the event of unfavorable weather, the trip will be postponed until Wednesday. According to an aide to the imperial family, Naruhito and Masako wanted to visit the affected areas and meet local residents because they were concerned about the new earthquake during reconstruction following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.