After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake caused an explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 30th that there was a movement within the Japanese government to evacuate the Emperor at the time of Akihito to the western region of Kyoto. The newspaper quoted several executives of the Democratic Party’s regime at the time, Naoto Kan.
The government of the war seeks to evacuate to Kyoto by the Emperor
Hisahito, the second-largest grandson to succeed to the throne, also reviewed
“I can’t abandon the people.”
– According to this, the government of the Kan at the time unofficially contemplated evacuation to Kyoto or further west than Kyoto for Emperor Akihito. In response, the Imperial Household Agency (an organization in charge of affairs related to the royal family) expressed its refusal to say, “The people are not evacuating, but (evacuation) cannot be done.”
Akihito (left) and Queen Michiko on September 27, 2017. [AP=연합뉴스]
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Former Prime Minister Gan told Kyodo News Agency, “It is true that I thought (the Japanese emperor’s evacuation plan) in my mind. However, I haven’t spoken to, or talked to, to your Majesty (the Emperor).”
However, according to the executives of the regime at the time, at the request of Prime Minister Gan, the Minister of the Imperial Household Agency secretly informed the emperor of his intention to evacuate at the time of the report of Hakeda through another person. An official from the Imperial Household Agency said, “I have a memory of refusing (evacuation). He testified that I heard the story of a politician, rather than a government, as an individual.” Next, as to whether or not he directly communicated his intention to evacuate to the Emperor, he said, “It may have been told afterward.”
As a refuge, it seems that the Kyoto Imperial Palace (the royal palace that was used until it moved to Tokyo) was considered.
![At the time, Prime Minister Naoto Kan announces a message to the public the day after the Great East Japan Earthquake.[지지통신]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202012/30/e2f7bde8-a09f-4f1d-9123-036a3eebe3dc.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
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At the time, Prime Minister Naoto Kan announces a message to the public the day after the Great East Japan Earthquake.[지지통신]
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Hisahito, the eldest son of the second son Akishinomiya, also announced that he had considered evacuating to the Kyoto area. Hisahito is currently second in the ranks of succession to the throne. An official said, “It was a review task in preparation for the spread of radioactive materials to the metropolitan area.”
The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant caused a hydrogen explosion on the 1st, 3rd and 4th units between March 12th and 15th, the day immediately following the earthquake due to the tsunami. At the time, Secretary of State Yukio Edano said at a press conference on the 16th, “Even if you do outdoor activities in an area of 20 to 30 kilometers from the nuclear power plant, there are no figures that can directly affect the human body.” On the other hand, the US government ordered the evacuation of its citizens within an 80 km radius.
![Japanese royal family photo released in December 2019. The second from the right of the front row is Akishinomiya, the current emperor's younger brother, and the second in the second row is his son Hisahito, second in succession to the throne. The Tokyo Shimbun reported that the Japanese government also reviewed Hisahito's evacuation plan during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. [로이터=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202012/30/7c16a0df-bef7-418f-8573-34c42bd3b9ef.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
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Japanese royal family photo released in December 2019. The second from the right of the front row is Akishinomiya, the current emperor’s younger brother, and the second in the second row is his son Hisahito, second in succession to the throne. The Tokyo Shimbun reported that the Japanese government also reviewed Hisahito’s evacuation plan during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. [로이터=연합뉴스]
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At that time, rumors of the Emperor’s escape from Tokyo actually circulated, and in response to this, Chief Chief Yutaka Kawashima (the head of the royal family) said in the May 2011 literary spring and fall, There can never be anything to go out,” he denied.
Tokyo = correspondent Yoon Seol-young [email protected]
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