By IANS,
Tokyo : Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan visited the quake-hit areas of the northeastern region of the country Saturday.
During his visit, Kan encouraged the self-defence forces members and other workers for trying to contain the Fukushima nuclear crisis caused by the magnitude-9 quake and ensuing tsunami.
Kan visited Rikuzentakata city of Japan’s Iwate prefecture. The city has been devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Interacting with the evacuees, Kan said: “We will do the best we can to set up temporary shelter.”
The prime minister then flew to an operation base, 20 km from the Fukushima power station, and encouraged the workers there to work hard.
“I want you to work with the belief that you can never lose the battle,” Kan told workers and officers.
Kan was also briefed by Rikuzentakata mayor Futoshi Toba and Iwate governor Takuya Tasso at the makeshift city hall building about the current condition in the devastated areas. The three discussed how to go forward with reconstruction efforts.
It was Kan’s second inspection of the areas stricken by quake and tsunami.
Kan was to previously visit evacuees in another heavily affected city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture March 21. But it was cancelled at the last minute due to poor weather.