Emperor, Empress visit Iwate online ahead of 3/11 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have made an online visit to Iwate, one of three northeastern prefectures hit hard by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Officials say the Imperial couple is eager to see how the affected areas are being rebuilt and talk to survivors ahead of the 10th anniversary of the disaster on March 11. Online visits have been arranged due to the coronavirus pandemic. The couple talked with people in Iwate from the Akasaka Imperial Residence in Tokyo on Thursday. The visit started with a briefing by Iwate Governor Tasso Takuya on the current state of reconstruction.