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東日本大震災十周年追悼式 天皇陛下のおことば
令和3年3月11日(木)(国立劇場)
東日本大震災から10年が経たちました。ここに皆さんと共に,震災によって亡くなられた方々とその御遺族に対し,深く哀悼の意を表します。
10年前の今日,東日本を襲った巨大地震とそれに伴う津波により,2万人を超す方が亡くなり,行方不明となりました。また,この地震に伴う津波や原子力発電所の事故により,多くの人々が避難生活を余儀なくされました。この震災の被害の大きさは,忘れることのできない記憶として,今なお脳裏から離れることはありません。
あれから10年,数多くの被災者が,想像を絶する大きな被害を受けながらも,共に助け合いながら,幾多の困難を乗り越えてきました。また,国や全国の地方自治体,160を超える国・地域や多数の国際機関,大勢のボランティアなど,国内外の多くの人々が様々な形で支援に力を尽くしてきました。
私も,皇后と共に,被災地を訪れてきましたが,関係者の努力と地域の人々の協力により,復興が進んできたことを感じています。これまで復興に向けて歩んできた多くの人々の尽力とたゆみない努力に深く敬意を表します。
一方で,被災地ではまだ様々な課題が残っていると思います。復興が進む中にあっても,新しく築かれた地域社会に新たに人と人とのつながりを培っていく上では課題も多いと聞きます。家族や友人など親しい人を亡くしたり,あるいは住まいや仕事を失い,地域の人々と離れ離れになったりするなど生活環境が一変し,苦労を重ねている人々のことを思うと心が痛みます。また,原子力発電所の事故の影響により,人々がいまだに自らの家に帰還できない地域や,帰還が始まったばかりの地域があり,農林水産業への風評被害の問題も残されています。高齢者や子供たちを含め,被災された方々の心の傷を癒やし,心身の健康を見守っていくことも大切であると感じます。
今後,困難な状況にある人々が,誰一人取り残されることなく,一日でも早く平穏な日常の暮らしを取り戻すことができるように,復興の歩みが着実に実を結んでいくよう,これからも私たち皆が心を合わせて,被災した地域の人々に末永く寄り添っていくことが大切であると思います。私も,皇后と共に,今後とも被災地の方々の声に耳を傾け,心を寄せ続けていきたいと思います。
先月にはマグニチュード7を超える地震が福島県沖で発生しました。被災された皆さんに心からのお見舞いを申し上げます。この地震は東日本大震災の余震と考えられており,このことからも,震災を過去のこととしてではなく,現在も続いていることとして捉えていく必要があると感じます。
我が国の歴史を振り返ると,巨大な自然災害は何度も発生しています。過去の災害に遭遇した人々が,その都度,後世の私たちに残した貴重な記録も各地に残されています。この度の大震災の大きな犠牲の下に学んだ教訓も,今後決して忘れることなく次の世代に語り継いでいくこと,そして災害の経験と教訓を忘れず,常に災害に備えておくことは極めて大切なことだと考えます。そして,その教訓がいかされ,災害に強い国が築かれていくことを心から願っています。
今なお様々な困難を背負いながらも,その苦難を乗り越えようとたゆみない努力を続けている人々に思いを寄せ,安らかな日々が一日も早く戻ることを皆さんと共に願い,御霊みたまへの追悼の言葉といたします。
Address by His Majesty the Emperor on the Occasion of the Memorial Service to Commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11, 2021)
Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Together with you all present here, I should like to express my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the disaster and their bereaved families.
Ten years ago today, the immense earthquake and the accompanying tsunami hit eastern Japan, leaving more than 20,000 people dead or missing. In addition, tsunami accompanying the earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident caused by the earthquake has forced great numbers of people to leave the places where they used to live. The magnitude of the damage brought about by the disaster is so profound that the unforgettable memory of the tragedy still persists in my mind.
During these ten years since the disaster, many of those afflicted, in spite of their having suffered from unimaginably enormous damages, have overcome numerous hardships by helping one another. Moreover, national and local governments, more than 160 countries and regions, many international organizations and numerous people including volunteers at home and abroad have dedicated themselves to support the affected areas and people in various ways.
I have with the Empress visited the afflicted regions, which has made me feel that the reconstruction has been progressing thanks to the efforts of all those concerned and the cooperation of the local people. I would like to express my deepest respect for the dedication and incessant efforts of the many people who have been taking steps towards reconstruction.
On the other hand, I hold that various problems still remain in the regions affected. I have heard that even if the reconstruction progresses, there are many problems to be solved in fostering human bonds anew in the newly built regional communities. My heart aches when I turn my thoughts to those who have struggled with various hardships with drastic changes of their living conditions, including those who have lost close ones such as family members or friends, and those who have lost their homes or jobs and been separated from the people of their communities. Besides, due to the aftermath of the nuclear power plant accident, there remain regions where people are yet to be allowed to return to their homes or people have just started to return, and the problem of negative impact of harmful rumor on the agricultural industries in the region also still remains. I also consider it important to heal emotional scars and watch over the mental and physical health of those afflicted, including the elderly and children.
It is a matter of great importance, I believe, that we all keep ourselves united, and everlastingly maintain the will to stand by the afflicted people so that the progress of the reconstruction will steadily bear fruit from now onwards in order to help all of them regain their peaceful daily lives in less than no time without leaving even a single soul behind in this difficult situation.
I, together with the Empress, would like to continue to listen to the voices of those in the afflicted regions and stay close to them.
Last month the earthquake with a magnitude of more than seven occurred off the coast of Fukushima prefecture. Let me express my sincere sympathy for the people affected by the earthquake. That earthquake is considered to be an aftershock of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and as this reveals, I feel it necessary for us to regard the great earthquake not as the event that happened in the past, but as a phenomenon that is still developing in front of us.
When we take a look at the history of our country, we have repeatedly experienced enormous natural disasters. We can find precious records in many regions that those who had experienced various natural disasters in the past had left for us alive today each time they had encountered those disasters. I think it is vital for us never to forget the lessons learned at great cost from the great earthquake and to pass them down to future generations, and to always keep ourselves prepared for coming natural disasters, firmly remembering our experiences and lessons learned through the disaster. I sincerely hope that we will build a nation resilient to the natural disasters by utilizing those lessons learned.
In closing, with my thoughts going out to those who are tirelessly making efforts to overcome various hardships, albeit still struggling with difficulties, hoping together with all those present here today that peace of mind will return as soon as possible to the life of those afflicted people, I offer my sincere prayers to all those who lost their lives in the Great East Japan Earthquake.