Home > News > The Prime Minister in Action > November 2014 > Inspection of the State of the Damage Caused by the Earthquake in Northern Nagano Prefecture
Inspection of the State of the Damage Caused by the Earthquake in Northern Nagano Prefecture
Monday, November 24, 2014
Photograph of the Prime Minister encouraging evacuees at an evacuation center (1)
Photograph of Prime Minister Abe exchanging views with the Governor of Nagano Prefecture and other officials
Photograph of Prime Minister Abe receiving a written request from the Governor of Nagano Prefecture
Photograph of the Prime Minister encouraging evacuees at an evacuation center (2)
Photograph of the Prime Minister observing an affected area (1)
Photograph of the Prime Minister observing an affected area (2)
Photograph of the Prime Minister observing an affected area (3)
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Nagano Prefecture to gauge the state of the damage resulting from the recent earthquake whose epicenter was in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture.
The Prime Minister first visited the Hakuba Village Office, where he was given a written request from Shuichi Abe, Governor of Nagano Prefecture. Then, after receiving a report of the damage, Prime Minister Abe held an exchange of views with Governor Abe and other officials.
Afterwards, the Prime Minister visited the Health and Welfare Fureai Center, which was being used as an evacuation center. There he offered words of encouragement to evacuees.
Following this, Prime Minister Abe inspected the affected areas in the Kamishiro district, and gauged the state of the damage.
After inspecting the affected areas, the Prime Minister shared his thoughts,
“First, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the recent earthquake. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who engaged in the emergency response.
This time in particular, I was deeply moved to hear that local people helped each other and offered their cooperation for rescue activities. I am once again reminded of the wonderful bonds shared by members of local communities. Since the earthquake occurred, the Government has been doing its utmost to conduct rescue and relief efforts. Now I have observed the affected areas for myself, and I am truly glad that, in spite of the considerable damage to houses, there has not been a single death.
It will continue to get colder and we will work hard to provide housing. Also, I know that there are plenty of guest houses and other types of accommodation in this area, and I have been told that they will be used to provide temporary accommodation. The Government will also fully support such activities.
Furthermore, the Government also plans to provide strong support for the reconstruction of homes. At the same time, it will soon be the full tourist season, and I am sure you are all concerned about possible damage to your reputation as a ski resort town. From what I have heard, facilities at ski areas and so on are undamaged. I know that a lot of visitors from overseas come to this area. We will do our best to disseminate accurate information to dispel harmful rumors.
I personally visited Sanin and Hiroshima when they were affected by intensive torrential rainfall, as well as the disaster-affected areas in Tohoku. Seeing the affected areas with my own eyes, and hearing directly from people affected by the disasters, I was filled with the determination to fully support recovery and reconstruction. It is with this same determination in mind that I decided to visit Hakuba Village today.”
In addition, the Prime Minister also inspected the state of the damage on Mount Ontake following the volcanic eruption on September 27, from a helicopter.
