IWATE —

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Saturday visited the Iwate town of Kamaishi to meet with evacuees from last year’s March 11 disaster.

Noda encouraged the evacuees who are still living in temporary housing and said the government had not forgotten them, TBS reported.

Some residents expressed concern that the planned hike in the consumption tax would slow reconstruction work. Noda said the government will study measures to minimize the impact of the consumption tax hike on the recovery effort in the Tohoku region.

Noda also inspected the town’s port and fish market.

Japan Today

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  Disillusioned at Jul. 15, 2012 - 12:21PM JST

  I wonder if he mentioned spending relief funds on security for the whaling fleet. This happened nearly one and a half years ago and very little has changed for these people. And, how exactly does he plan to minimize the impact of increased consumption tax on these people? How Noda? How?

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  spudmanreincarnated at Jul. 15, 2012 - 01:56PM JST

  Even better is spending donated money to save a tree while people still live in shelters?

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  sandiegoluv at Jul. 15, 2012 - 05:28PM JST

  Just curious about something. Isn't Ozawa from that area? Has he been back since the earthquake? I heard not. I heard that he ran to Kyoto after the earthquake last year. True?

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  DoLittleBeLate at Jul. 16, 2012 - 09:09AM JST

  Kind of ballsy to go to people still living in temporary housing after 16 months and lie to their face that they haven't been forgotten.

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  smithinjapan at Jul. 16, 2012 - 01:43PM JST

  "...and said the government had not forgotten them"

  Hope he mentioned that things like buying disputed islands, sending the Japanese COAST guard out with whaling fleets, saving TEPCO, building a dam they promised not to, and other big money ventures are a priority over them. If not, it seems they have forgotten them indeed, save for the photo op.