His Holiness was invited to speak to people in Sendai, one of worst hit regions during the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, by A Society for Prayers – 2014. His Holiness praised the Japanese people’s spirit and strength to recover in the face of immense suffering and destruction, and encouraged victims of the disaster to look to the future with optimism and determination. Earlier, he had joined Shinto priests for a special prayer service for the disaster victims.