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To kick off their tour of the three Tohoku prefectures that were most affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko chose Miyagi Prefecture as their first stop.
From Matsushima Air Base in the prefecture, Akihito and Michiko boarded a Self-Defense Forces helicopter for the flight to the northern part of the prefecture. They were accompanied by Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai, now 53.
Flying over Ishinomaki, Murai pointed out Okawa Elementary School, where 84 students and teachers are listed as dead or missing following the towering tsunami.
The imperial couple gazed intently at what remained.
The helicopter landed on the dirt yard of Isatomae Elementary School located next to Utatsu Junior High School in Minami-Sanriku.
Just below the elementary school was a mountain of rubble pushed inland by 15-meter-high tsunami. The imperial couple bowed in the direction of the rubble.
Minami-Sanriku Mayor Jin Sato, now 62, welcomed the couple and, pointing to another location, said, "There was a bridge there, but that was also washed away."
Michiko recoiled in surprise and asked, "Really, there was a bridge there?"
Akihito pointed and told her, "Look, you can still see what remains of the two ends of the bridge."
Two pairs of slippers were arranged at the entrance to the Utatsu Junior High gymnasium.
Akihito had donned the footwear and Michiko was about to follow suit when she noticed that Sato was without slippers. She removed her slippers, but urged Akihito to continue wearing his even as he tried to remove them.
The gymnasium floor was cold, but Michiko gave it no thought as she talked to disaster victims in her stockinged feet.
After meeting with the victims and leaving the gymnasium, the door was shut. But Akihito and Michiko asked that the door be opened so they could make one last greeting.
Everybody burst into spontaneous applause.
Before boarding the helicopter, the imperial couple again bowed deeply in the direction of the rubble.
They also asked Sato to repeat the explanation he gave soon after they arrived. He referred to the relief supplies that came from around Japan to his town.
Sato said, "Your Majesty, there are still many good things about the Japanese people."
Akihito and Michiko flew by helicopter to Sendai, where they were met by Mayor Emiko Okuyama, now 62.
Normally, whenever the imperial couple goes somewhere, they ride in a limousine, followed by a procession of about 10 cars and buses carrying chamberlains, security guards, local dignitaries and media representatives.
This time, the imperial couple rode in a van along with a chamberlain, Governor Murai, Mayor Okuyama and representatives of the local police and SDF.
Okuyama sat directly behind the imperial couple.
Michiko mentioned that Miyagino, the name of the gymnasium that was being used as an evacuation center and which was their destination, had a very graceful sound to it.
"Does 'hagi' (Japanese clover) bloom in autumn?" Michiko asked.
The empress likely was referring to "miyaginohagi," a subspecies of the Japanese clover.
Okuyama said, "It blooms at Tsutsujigaoka Park."
Michiko then turned to the emperor and said, "There is also Japanese clover at the Imperial Palace, isn't there?"
Akihito said, "That clover was donated by Governor Yamamoto."
Soichiro Yamamoto served as Miyagi governor from 1969 to 1989, and he was succeeded by two others before the current governor Murai.
Okuyama was astounded that the emperor still recalled the name of the Miyagi governor from so far back.
At the gymnasium, the imperial couple met a number of disaster victims, many of whom said family members were still missing. The couple tried to encourage the victims by saying, "I hope your child will be returned to you quickly."
One victim made a bouquet from narcissus that had bloomed on the site where her home had once stood and gave it to Michiko. The empress held on to the bouquet during the flight by helicopter and SDF aircraft back to Tokyo and brought it home with her to the Imperial Palace.
In 2012, the imperial couple again visited temporary housing in Sendai on May 12-13. The visit was made even though Akihito underwent coronary artery bypass surgery on Feb. 18 and had only left the hospital on March 4. He was also scheduled to leave for Britain on May 16 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne.
With such a busy schedule, Okuyama suggested that the imperial couple push back their visit to Sendai.
An Imperial Household Agency official told her, "It would be impossible to decide on a visit to Britain without visiting the disaster-stricken areas. It is His Majesty's belief that no overseas trip was possible without first visiting a disaster-stricken area."
The previous installments of this series are available at:
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