Imperial Family to mark solemn anniversary

The Imperial Family will visit the Tōhoku region to commemorate a solemn anniversary.

On 11th March, 2011, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck the northeast of Japan. A magnitude 9.1 quake—the fourth largest in world history—which lasted over six minutes, damaged homes and infrastructure. While the quake unfortunately claimed lives, most of the carnage was caused by the some 133ft tsunami waves that inundated the ‘Tōhoku region’. In Fukushima, the prefecture was grappling with the world’s worst nuclear incident since Chornobyl at the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

As a result of the disaster, around 20,000 people lost their lives, 6,250 were injured, and, still to this day, around 2,500 are missing. Today, the disaster is referred to as the ‘Great East Japan Earthquake’ or ‘3.11’.

During the aftermath, then-Emperor Akihito made an extraordinary television broadcast to the State of Japan, in part saying,

(…) the Japanese people are responding to the situation in a remarkably orderly manner, and helping each other without losing composure. It is my heartfelt hope that the people will continue to work hand in hand, treating each other with compassion, in order to overcome these trying times.

I believe it extremely important for us all to share with the victims as much as possible, in whatever way we can, their hardship in the coming days. It is my sincere hope that those who have been affected by the disaster will never give up hope and take good care of themselves as they live through the days ahead, and that each and every Japanese will continue to care for the afflicted areas and the people for years to come and, together with the afflicted, watch over and support their path to recovery.

2026 will see the 15th anniversary of the worst disaster in modern Japan. The Imperial Household Agency has announced plans for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, joined by Princess Aiko, the Princess Toshi, to visit the affected areas, meeting with victims, and surveying recovery efforts since 2011.

The Imperial Couple with the Princess Toshi will first visit Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures respectively from 25th to 26th March. The visits will include stops at a Cultural Exchange Centre, the ‘Requiem Forest’, Minamisanriku 3/11 Memorial, and a Tsunami Memorial Hall.

A further visit to Fukushima Prefecture is scheduled for 6th to 7th April.

The Imperial Family will receive a briefing on relief efforts at the Fukushima Prefectural Government Office, followed by a meeting with victims and their families at the Nuclear Disaster Memorial Hall in Futaba Town.

This will be the Emperor and Empress’s first visit to Iwate Prefecture since June 2023, as well as the first visit to Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures since December 2019.

The visits will also be the first time that Princess Aiko, the Princess Toshi has visited areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The Royal News Organisation will keep you up to date with further engagements in relation to the upcoming Tōhoku visits.