PM Kishida Vows to Spare No Effort in Tohoku Rebuild

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:53 JST, March 11, 2023

FUKUSHIMA — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, speaking at a memorial service for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Fukushima on Saturday, said he would make every effort to revitalize the Tohoku region.

About 300 officials from the central and prefectural governments as well as bereaved families prayed for those who perished in the 2011 disaster at the service, which was organized by the Fukushima prefectural government

Those attending the ceremony also renewed their pledge to help rebuild the affected areas. At 2:46 p.m., when the earthquake struck, a minute of silent prayer was held.

Kishida stated that the government would continue to do its utmost for the reconstruction and revitalization of Fukushima Prefecture and the entire Tohoku region.

Koichi Miyaguchi, 65, a resident of Minami-Soma in the prefecture who lost his parents in the tsunami, gave a speech as a representative of the bereaved families.

“I still feel frustrated and disappointed 12 years after the disaster, and the feeling has not changed at all. It is important to always live with an awareness of disaster prevention,” he said.