TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide is planning to visit Fukushima Prefecture on Saturday, government sources said Thursday.

It will be Suga’s first visit to the northeastern Japan prefecture since he took office last week.

Through the trip, Suga is apparently aiming to demonstrate his administration’s stance of making all-out efforts to rebuild Fukushima and other areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Fukushima is also home to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, which suffered an unprecedented triple meltdown due to the natural disaster.

Suga is considering visiting the damaged power station and holding talks with heads of relevant local governments, the sources said.

He may also visit a museum that was built by the Fukushima prefectural government to pass on the lessons of the natural and nuclear disasters to future generations. The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, located in the Fukushima town of Futaba, opened on Sunday.

When he met with reconstruction minister Katsuei Hirasawa at the prime minister’s office on Wednesday, Suga showed his eagerness to visit Fukushima as early as possible.

JIJI Press