Jr NTR pens note after safe return from quake-struck Japan: Hoping for a swift recovery

Jr NTR . Pic/Instagram

'RRR' star Jr NTR on Tuesday morning said he had returned from Japan and wished for its swift recovery after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the island country.
The quakes struck the western region of Japan, leaving at least eight people dead and damaging buildings, vehicles and boats, with officials warning people in some areas on Tuesday to stay away from their homes because of a risk of more strong quakes.

Jr NTR, who spent the last week in Japan, in a post on X said he was "deeply shocked" by the earthquakes in the country. "Back home today from Japan and deeply shocked by the earthquakes hitting. Spent the entire last week there, and my heart goes out to everyone affected. Grateful for the resilience of the people and hoping for a swift recovery. Stay strong, Japan," the actor wrote on the microblogging site. The actor was seemingly in the country for New Year.

SS Rajamouli directed 'RRR' received a lot of love and appreciation in Japan. The two lead actors - Ram Charan and Jr NTR found a new fan base in the island country after the success of the film. 'RRR' emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film upon its release in Japan in 2022. The film raised over 410 million yen (Rs 24.13 crore approximately) at the Japanese box office.

'RRR' star Jr NTR will next be seen in the film 'Devara' alongside Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. The first glimpse of the film will be unveiled on January 8.

On Monday, the earthquakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, also started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan's main island, Honshu. Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area on Monday afternoon. Eight people were confirmed dead in Wajima city, officials said. Seven others were seriously injured, while damage to homes was so great that it could not immediately be assessed, they said.

On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido. The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday. Waves measuring more than one meter (3 feet) hit some places. The agency warned that more major quakes could hit the area over the next few days.

(with inputs from PTI)