Prince William evokes Diana memories on Japan tsunami trip

Britain's Prince William (R), Duke of Cambridge, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) wearing "yukata", or kimono-style pajamas, exchange smiles during a dinner at a traditional Japanese inn in Koriyama, Fukushima prefecture, February 28, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

"Perhaps it's because he's a father himself now, or maybe it's down to his dear mother Diana's lasting inspiration, as her charity and humanitarian work was so focused on children, but Prince William is really good with kids and I think his trip to Fukushima, in a small way, really cheered them and the region up," Tomikawa, an architect and diehard fan of the British Royal Family told Xinhua.

Along with Abe, the Prince was scheduled to sample some local food after visiting a school, but some locals seemed a tad disgruntled with the prime minister for not allowing the prince to see the "true realities" of the ongoing horror in Fukushima.

More than 140,000 people still remained displaced four years after the 2011 disasters, and Tokuo Hayakawa, a Buddhist priest from the town of Naraha, two miles from the Fukushima plant, was quoted as telling a British publication, "I think Abe is using him. It's true that you can find children playing outside, and you can eat some Fukushima food.

"But to take that as the overall reality here is totally wrong. If I could, I would take him to these abandoned ghost towns, and to the temporary houses where people still live, so he could see the reality that we are facing," Hayakawa said.

But needless to say, the prince has had a very demanding schedule since he arrived in Japan on Thursday, and following a reception at the British Embassy last night with British Ambassador to Japan, Tim Hitchens, accompanied by music from legendary British radio celebrity and DJ Guy Perryman, Prince William visited Japan's public broadcaster NHK in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward earlier Saturday and took a tour of the studios.

The prince politely refused to don a chonmage wig - the type of hairstyle typically associated with the Edo era here and Samurai culture, stating that, "My brother (Prince) Harry would never let me get away with that." Prince William and his younger sibling, who announced Friday he will leave the Armed Forces after 10 years of service and two tours in Afghanistan to pursue a career in charity work involved with helping injured service people, have always enjoyed a healthy amount of brotherly "banter".