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According To The Associated Press

TOKYO-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday visited Northern cities defused by a deadly Typhoon and promised residents his government’s support for their speedy recovery.

Abe told reporters during the visit that he was considering postponing the Royal parade scheduled for Tuesday to celebrate Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement as the government must deal with the natural disaster.

“I am determined to provide sufficient support to restore your daily life. I know you’re worried about your health, but please stand up, ” Abe told one elderly resident sitting on the wooden floor of an elementary school gymnasium in the city of Koriyama. He later visited the site of a damaged riverfront that flooded another city in Fukushima.

During a trip to the city in neighboring Miyagi Prefecture, Abe told reporters that the Royal parade would likely be postponed. In media reports, November 10 as a possible new date.

The chief Cabinet Secretary said the rest of the ceremonies, including Naruhito’s proclamation and banquets, would go ahead as planned.

Rescue and rescue efforts for stranded or missing people in flooded mountain villages continued Thursday as the death toll rose. NHK counted 77 dead, while the fire and disaster management Agency said 65 people had been declared dead.

Typhoon Hagibis hit Northern and Central Japan over the weekend with historic rainfall that caused rivers to overflow and left thousands of homes flooded, damaged or without power.

Fukushima Prefecture, hit by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters, was one of the hardest hit, with at least 26 people.

More than 4,000 people died in the earthquake and tsunami eight years ago, although none of the deaths were linked to direct exposure to radiation from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident. About 42,000 people are still dislocated due to the lingering effect of the initial radiation.

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