[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Ibaraki Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture in order to gauge the state of damage caused by Typhoon No. 18.

First, the Prime Minister observed the affected area around Kinugawa. Afterwards, he visited the Ishige General Gymnasium, which is being used as an evacuation shelter, where he encouraged evacuated residents.

Following that, the Prime Minister visited Ibaraki Prefectural Office, where he received an explanation on the state of damage from Mr. Masaru Hashimoto, Governor of Ibaraki Prefecture, and then held an exchange of opinions.
The Prime Minister then observed the state of damage from the air in a helicopter. Afterwards, he visited Tochigi Prefectural Office, where he received an explanation on the state of damage from Mr. Tomikazu Fukuda, Governor of Tochigi Prefecture, and held an exchange of opinions.

After inspecting the affected areas, the Prime Minister said,

“Today, I visited the areas affected by the disaster. I saw with my own eyes the devastation at the affected areas, including the way that rivers have flooded, and again confirmed the immensity of the damage caused.

The damage caused by the torrential rains brought about by the typhoon took the lives of many people in Miyagi Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture. I would like to once again express my heartfelt condolences for those who lost their lives and my heartfelt sympathies to those affected by this disaster in each region.

In addition, there are still many people with whom we have lost contact. I can only imagine how worried their families must be. The police, fire departments, SDF personnel, Japan Coast Guard, and others are all exerting their maximum efforts. We are taking all possible measures and devoting utmost efforts to search and rescue activities.

Earlier I met with those affected by this disaster. Everyone seemed so exhausted from what they have been through. I am resolved to work in cooperation with each city, prefecture, and municipality to thoroughly secure necessities, provide medical care, and secure living environments for everyone. I intend to take all possible measures to that end. At the same time, we will commence drainage activities as soon as possible. I also intend to take all possible measures to ensure that such a disaster does not reoccur by making every effort for the quick repair of broken levees.

Additionally, many people continue to harbor anxiety about the future, so I would like to work as hard as possible on support policies toward helping people rebuild their lives.”