MIYAKO, Iwate Pref.: Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide reiterated his determination Thursday to reconstruct the country’s northeast that was ravaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

“I renewed my determination to work hard to reconstruct disaster-afflicted areas and develop Tohoku,” Suga said, referring to the northeastern region.

“We’re in the final stages of reconstruction,” he told reporters in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, during his first trip to Iwate and neighboring Miyagi Prefecture since he took office in September.

The cabinet will fully support efforts to resolve remaining issues, Suga said. He visited Fukushima Prefecture, part of Tohoku, in September.

In Higashimatsushima, Miyagi, Suga visited a multipurpose facility for disaster reconstruction. In Miyako, he visited a hotel that is open to the public as one of the disaster remains.

JIJI Press