Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko are left ‘saddened’ following an earthquake in Southern Japan, and cancel a period of rest at Imperial Villa.
The Imperial Household Agency announced on Wednesday that the Imperial Family have been left ‘deeply saddened’ by the destruction caused by a recent earthquake which struck Kumamoto Prefecture.
A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake — seismic intensity 7 on the Japanese shindo scale — struck Kyushu island around 4:30 pm on Tuesday, killing 28 people and causing extensive damage to homes and businesses. The southernmost of Japan’s archipelago suffered total building collapses, with search and rescue teams dispatched to assist in the recovery. Many are still left without electricity or water.
An exterior wall collapsed at Kumamoto Castle with smoke and dust rising from the debris. Further assessments will need to be conducted to determine the site’s structural integrity.
In response to the quake, the Imperial Household Agency announced that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, with their daughter Princess Aiko and Princess Toshi, were left ‘deeply saddened’ to learn of the loss of life and destruction.
The IHA also notes that the Imperial Family’s upcoming period of rest at Suzaki Imperial Villa has been cancelled. The Emperor and Empress with the Princess Toshi were expected to undertake a period of rest at the beginning of next month, which has now been cancelled in response to the earthquake.
A Gagaku performance (Japanese court music) at the Imperial Palace, scheduled for Wednesday, was also postponed.
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