Emperor Visits Refugees in Quake Zone
Two weeks after a quake killed more than 5,000 people, Emperor Akihito paid a one-day visit today to the devastated quake zone, clasping hands of refugees living in shelters.
At his first stop, a school-turned-shelter outside the hard-hit city of Kobe, Akihito walked among the refugees, shaking the hands of some and exchanging a few words with others. He held the hand of one 81-year-old man, Shuji Inoue, and spoke quietly with him.
At an elementary school packed with refugees, the emperor, clad in a ski jacket and turtleneck, knelt on the floor among folded mattresses to speak with the members of one family. They bowed deeply and repeatedly to him.
Spontaneous contact with ordinary Japanese citizens is relatively rare for the imperial couple, who spend most of their time at highly orchestrated ceremonial events or cloistered in the palace.
The emperor and Empress Michiko were spending eight hours in the quake zone, shuttling by helicopter and motorcade. More than a quarter-million quake refugees are living in shelters set up in gymnasiums, schools and other buildings.
The imperial visit generated little excitement in advance among quake refugees, who are coping with daily discomfort in the shelters.
The temperature had plunged to just below freezing overnight and it was snowing today in the quake zone.
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