The former Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, which provided shelter to survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake, closed its doors on June 30 and will now be razed and replaced with high-rise buildings.
The former Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, which provided shelter to survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake, closed its doors on June 30 and will now be razed and replaced with high-rise buildings.
Some of the evacuees will move into apartment buildings owned by Tokyo Prefecture, while others will relocate to other hotels.
The Akasaka Prince once accommodated 788 evacuees, and 352 stayed until June 30. On the last day, movers were busy carrying out cardboard boxes since early morning.
A family from Kawauchi village, Fukushima Prefecture, were the last evacuees to leave the hotel. They were seen off at 7:40 p.m., by about 50 personnel, including hotel employees and Tokyo metropolitan government officials.
Haruko Kimura, 68, and her hasband, 75, were among those who left on the last day. The couple, from Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, were accompanied by their eldest son's wife and two grandchildren.
The Kimuras' son chose to stay back home in Fukushima Prefecture because of his job. After leaving the Akasaka Prince, the couple plan to stay for about three weeks at a facility in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward before moving to an apartment house for civil servants.
"We have received solid assistance," Haruko said. "But we will feel more lonely from now on."