Crown Prince Akishino and Prince Hisahito visit Kesennuma in Japan
Crown Prince Akishino and his son, Prince Hisahito, visited the city of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, which suffered extensive destruction from the tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. As The Japan Times reports, this was Prince Hisahito's first trip to an area affected by the disaster.
Memorial at a former school
On Sunday, they visited the Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Museum in Kesennuma. The museum preserves the building of the former Kesennuma Koyo High School, which was severely damaged by the tsunami.
According to an aide, the trip was made at the wish of the crown prince and prince ahead of the 15th anniversary of the disaster. The building has been preserved largely in the condition it was in after the disaster. In particular, a car remains there after being lifted by the floodwaters from the ground into a classroom on the third floor — to a height of about eight meters — where it overturned.
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Museum director Junnosuke Oikawa and high school students who tell visitors about the disaster gave the guests a tour. The former school building was flooded to a height of about 12 meters, reaching the fourth floor, but all students, teachers and staff were evacuated. Crown Prince Akishino said it was good that everyone had been able to escape.
Visit to the fish market
On Monday morning, Akishino and Hisahito also visited Kesennuma Fish Market, which was restored after damage caused by the tsunami. Wearing caps and rubber boots, they watched bonito being unloaded and other market operations.
