The Maritime Self-Defense Force transport vessel Osumi arrived at the Tongan capital city of Nuku’alofa on Wednesday carrying disaster relief supplies.
The MSDF will deliver the supplies, including to remote islands in the Pacific island nation, after going through quarantine procedures.
Tonga suffered a massive underwater volcanic eruption and ensuing tsunami last month.
On Jan. 24, the Osumi left the MSDF’s Kure base in Hiroshima Prefecture with high-pressure water sprayers for removing volcanic ash, wheelbarrows, drinking water and other goods.
A CH-47JA large transport helicopter and Landing Craft Air Cushion hovercrafts of the Ground SDF are on the vessel. They will be used to transport the goods to remote islands that cannot be reached by large vessels.
Following the arrival of the MSDF ship, a C-130 transport airplane of the Air SDF that was dispatched earlier to airlift relief supplies to Tonga will temporarily return to Japan.
As the Tongan government has strengthened border measures against the novel coronavirus, the Osumi is expected to take about three days to finish the quarantine procedures.
As SDF members will avoid contact with local people when delivering the relief supplies, they have prepared message boards and paper cranes to give with the goods.
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