Prime Minister visits Kumamoto disaster zone, pledges full support

On Monday, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida travelled to the Kumamoto prefecture to assess the damage caused by the July 28 earthquake that registered a magnitude of 7.1. While at a temporary evacuation centre in Hikawa, he spoke with families who had lost homes and advised them that the government would provide every possible assistance.

Kishida’s itinerary included a helicopter ride over the Aeyon Shopping Mall in Kashima, which suffered a fatal explosion after the quake, and an aerial inspection of the Yatsushiro paper plant where nine workers were killed. Throughout his visit, the prime minister emphasized the nation’s commitment to rapid relief distribution, the reconstruction of essential services, and the restoration of everyday life for the affected communities.

The prime minister’s presence was intended to boost morale among survivors and to demonstrate the government’s resolve to rebuild the region’s infrastructure, which has been severely damaged according to satellite and helicopter imagery.