13 Years On: Iwate Looks to Use New Infrastructure, Human Bonds

Morioka, Iwate Pref., March 8 (Jiji Press)–Takuya Tasso, governor of Iwate Prefecture, one of the northeastern Japan prefectures hardest hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, has expressed his eagerness to take advantage of new infrastructure and human bonds created after the disaster.

In an interview ahead of the 13th anniversary of the disaster, Tasso said that most of the planned “hard” reconstruction projects, including road construction, have been completed in his prefecture, and that the prefecture will continue to work on “soft” projects, such as livelihood support for affected people and community reconstruction.

The governor called on the central government to continue necessary reconstruction projects while listening to people in the affected areas.

Currently, the region’s economy is being hit by rising oil and other prices and poor catches of fish such as salmon and saury, according to Tasso.

To address the fishery problem, the governor said the prefectural government will work with fishery operators and related organizations to restore fishery resources, make effective use of fish whose stocks are increasing, and introduce new fishery and aquaculture methods.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]