Emperor, Empress Visit Ishikawa Pref. to Meet Noto Quake Victims

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, March 23, 2024 

WAJIMA, Ishikawa — The Emperor and Empress traveled to Ishikawa Prefecture on a special flight on Friday to meet victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

This is the second time in the Emperor’s reign for the Imperial couple to visit places devastated by a natural disaster. In December 2019, they visited Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, which had been hit by a typhoon.

The Emperor and Empress departed from Haneda Airport around 10 a.m. and arrived at Noto Airport in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, about 50 minutes later. After listening to Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase explain conditions in the area, they took a helicopter and then a car to central Wajima to meet evacuees at a shelter. They also expressed their thanks for the hard work of those who have responded to the emergency.