On September 13, Crown Prince Fumihito and his son Prince Hisahito visited the city of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

They toured a memorial museum that preserves the building of a high school that was struck by a tsunami about 12 meters high during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The two listened to explanations from a high school student, who serves as a storyteller, about how a car was swept onto the third floor of the school building and overturned by tsunami.

Officials said Hisahito noticed that a classroom window opening was unusually large and asked whether the window frame was washed away as well.

After hearing that students participating in club activities in the gymnasium survived by walking for more than 40 minutes to higher ground, Fumihito remarked that it was fortunate everyone managed to evacuate that far and came through safely.

This is the first time Hisahito has visited an area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.