Princess Aiko Visits Reopened Businesses in Quake-Stricken Ishikawa Town, Speaks to Business Owners

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, May 19, 2025

SHIKA, Ishikawa — Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, on Monday visited a supermarket, a restaurant and other businesses that have resumed operations at a temporary location in Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, as part of her visit to the prefecture. The town was hit hard by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, registering the highest level of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.

Princess Aiko arrived at the Shika town office at around 9:40 a.m. and waved to people who were gathered there. She then went to the Togi Umikaido roadside rest area where five businesses have set up temporary outlets at a parking lot.

After she listened to a supermarket owner, whose store was wrecked in the quake, speak about their plan to rebuild where the store once stood, Princess Aiko said: “Returning to where you once were must be very meaningful.”

When she was leaving the rest area, the princess told the business owners, “There may be some difficulties, but please take care of yourselves.”

She then visited temporary housing units adjacent to the rest area and spoke to the residents of the units.

In the afternoon, Princess Aiko stopped by a senior citizen support center in the town. According to Shika Mayor Kentaro Inaoka, who served as a guide for Princess Aiko, she said after the visits that she wanted to continue watching over the town’s recovery and reconstruction efforts. Princess Aiko was expected to return to Tokyo in the evening.