Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Hyogo Prefecture for 2 days next month to attend the memorial service for the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.

The Imperial couple will fly from Haneda Airport to Kobe Airport on January 16 and will visit a special exhibition on the quake at Hyogo Prefectural Hyogo-no-Tsu Museum.

They are also scheduled to meet with local residents who experienced the disaster firsthand, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

On the following day, the Emperor and Empress will attend the Memorial Ceremony for the 30th Anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake at the Hyogo Prefectural Hall.

Following that, they will visit the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution before returning to Tokyo in the evening.

This will be the fourth time that Emperor Naruhito attends a memorial service for the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.